Aston Villa vs. Fulham – English Premier League, April 4, 2021

By the time this game kicks off on Sunday, Scott Parker will know whether his side can climb out of the bottom three for the first time since the start of December. The Cottagers have been in the relegation zone for most of the season, but a Newcastle defeat earlier in the day will give the London club a chance.

Aston Villa stands in Fulham’s way, though. It has been a tough time of late in the West Midlands, so Dean Smith will want nothing short of a home win here.

Many EPL fans believe that Fulham will be able to pull off a great escape this season and retain its top-flight status.

The sportsbooks don’t quite think that the Cottagers will triumph here – but with the odds so close, the draw bet might be of interest for some.

Jack Grealish has missed the last six games for Villa, and his team has only won once and scored just three times. It is not as if the England international is the main goal scorer at the club, but he creates the chances and inspires his teammates into positions where they can impact.

Dean Smith will be desperate for Grealish to return now he has gotten over his injury. A lack of match fitness might be a concern, but I would be surprised if he doesn’t play a part in this game. Villa is only seven points off the European places, but that is probably a dream too far at the moment. Three points on Sunday will be enough for now.

Fulham is the side in greater need of a victory, of course. There has been a distinct improvement since just before Christmas, but the west London club is still drawing too many of its games. Those results have put in with a chance of survival but picking up just a point all the time makes the process a lot harder.

Although there were some tough fixtures just before the international break, Fulham have only picked up three points from the last four games and needs to consistently play well if it is to overcome Newcastle. There is a real chance open to Fulham now – but there are just eight games to do it in.

There will be a real temptation for many here to back Fulham to keep its dream of staying up going. But, for all the improvement at the club, there are still a lot of limitations in the squad.

If Jack Grealish is able to play on Sunday, they might be highlighted further – and that could mean a win for the home side.