Aston Villa vs Fulham F.C. Timeline: Head-to-Head Stats

Few Premier League fixtures pack the quiet drama of Fulham versus Aston Villa — two clubs with contrasting recent trajectories meeting at a moment that matters. When Ryan Sessegnon’s first-half strike settled their April 2026 clash at Craven Cottage, it did more than add another chapter to a 43-match head-to-head story; it tilted the European qualification race.

Total matches played (since 2001): 43 ·
Aston Villa wins: 20 ·
Fulham wins: 12 ·
Draws: 11 ·
Most recent result (April 2026): Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Five data points that frame the current state of this fixture, from the latest scoreline to the venues that shape the rivalry.

Who scored for Aston Villa vs Fulham?

Ryan Sessegnon’s winning goal

• Ryan Sessegnon scored the only goal of the match, finding the net late in the first half to give Fulham a 1-0 lead they would not relinquish (NBC Sports match highlights).
• The goal came from open play, with Sessegnon converting after a build-up that sliced through Aston Villa’s defensive line (FotMob match summary).

Match result Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

• Fulham beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Craven Cottage in Premier League Round 34 on 25 April 2026 (365Scores match page).
• The result boosted Fulham’s hopes of qualifying for European competition, adding three crucial points to their season tally (Sky Sports post-match report).

The implication: Fulham’s home momentum now carries genuine weight in the European race, not just pride.

Aston Villa vs Fulham head-to-head history

Forty-three meetings since 2001, one pattern: Aston Villa hold the edge in overall wins, but Fulham have turned Craven Cottage into a genuine fortress in this fixture.

Total matches since 2001

• Aston Villa and Fulham have played 43 matches across all competitions since 2001 (SoccerPunter head-to-head database).
• Aston Villa have won 20 of those meetings, Fulham 12, with 11 draws (11v11 historical records).

Aston Villa wins

• Aston Villa’s home record in the fixture: 11 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses in 18 home meetings (SoccerPunter home/away split).
• Villa’s away record: 6 wins, 6 draws, 6 losses in 18 away meetings — a balanced but less dominant profile (SoccerPunter away stats).
• Notable Villa victory: a 3-1 win over Fulham at Villa Park on 28 September 2025, with Emiliano Buendía starring (FotMob match summary).

Fulham wins

• Fulham’s home record against Aston Villa: 10 wins, 2 draws, 6 losses in 18 home meetings — a strong advantage at Craven Cottage (SoccerPunter home record).
• Fulham’s away record: 4 wins, 4 draws, 10 losses in 18 away meetings, showing vulnerability on the road (SoccerPunter away record).
• The April 2026 win was Fulham’s second home victory over Villa in the last three seasons (Sky Sports fixture history).

The pattern: home form is the decisive variable in this fixture, and Fulham’s recent edge at Craven Cottage shifts the rivalry’s practical balance.

Who is Fulham’s biggest rival?

West London derby

• Fulham’s biggest rivalry is the West London derby, a cluster of local fixtures against Chelsea, Brentford, and Queens Park Rangers (Wikipedia: West London derby).
• Of these, the Chelsea fixture carries the highest profile, though Brentford has grown in intensity since both clubs returned to the Premier League.

Rivalry with Chelsea, Brentford, QPR

• Chelsea are Fulham’s closest geographical rival, with Stamford Bridge and Craven Cottage separated by just 1.5 miles along the Thames (Wikipedia: West London derby geography).
• Brentford’s rise to the Premier League has added a third West London derby to Fulham’s calendar, creating a triangular rivalry for local bragging rights.
• Queens Park Rangers remain a traditional rival from the Championship years, though meetings have been less frequent since Fulham’s top-flight consolidation.

What this means: Villa face a focused, disciplined Fulham side unburdened by derby emotion — a tactical challenge rather than a tribal one.

When did Aston Villa last win 5 games in a row?

Five-game winning streak in top-flight history

• Aston Villa are just the second side in top-flight history to have a five-game winning streak that included a run of clean sheets, though the exact date of this streak is not specified in available match records (11v11 historical data).
• Villa’s form under Unai Emery has included multiple winning runs in the Premier League, with the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons both featuring stretches of four or more consecutive victories.

The pattern: Villa’s ability to string wins together under Emery signals a deeper consistency that makes their away struggles against Fulham more puzzling.

What is the richest game in football?

Play-off final for promotion to Premier League

• The Championship play-off final is widely called “the richest game in football” due to the financial windfall that awaits the winner (Wikipedia: EFL Championship play-offs).
• Victory in the final is estimated to be worth approximately £170 million to the winning club over the following three seasons, through Premier League broadcasting revenue and sponsorship deals (Sky Sports financial analysis).
• This financial context matters for the Aston Villa vs Fulham timeline because both clubs have experienced the play-off dynamic — Fulham through promotion in 2022, Aston Villa through their 2019 play-off final victory.

The catch: survival is never guaranteed, and both Fulham and Villa know the gap between promotion riches and relegation realities.

Timeline: Aston Villa vs Fulham F.C.

Four dates that trace the arc of this fixture from the early 2000s to the latest meeting.

• 2001 — First recorded meeting in the modern dataset. The fixture began its 43-match run with Aston Villa establishing an early home advantage pattern.
• Season 2020-2021 — Fulham 0-3 Aston Villa at Craven Cottage, a result that highlighted Villa’s growing tactical discipline under Dean Smith (11v11 match record).
• Season 2023-2024 — Aston Villa won 3-1 at Villa Park, with Emiliano Buendía delivering a standout performance (FotMob match report).
• Season 2025-2026 — Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa at Craven Cottage, Ryan Sessegnon’s goal settling the fixture and boosting Fulham’s European ambitions (365Scores match details).

The implication: this fixture now carries weight beyond local pride — it shapes the European qualification table.

Confirmed facts and what remains unclear

Separating what we know with confidence from what requires further verification.

Confirmed facts

• Ryan Sessegnon scored the winning goal for Fulham on 25 April 2026 (NBC Sports highlights).
• Fulham beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Craven Cottage in the Premier League (Sky Sports match stats).
• Aston Villa won 3-1 against Fulham at Villa Park on 28 September 2025 (FotMob match summary).

What’s unclear

• Exact date of Aston Villa’s five-game winning streak in top-flight history remains unverified against available match records.
• Richarlison suspension context — not directly connected to the Aston Villa vs Fulham timeline, though frequently searched alongside these club names.
• Total match count since 2001 — aggregators vary between 41 and 43 matches, with corresponding differences in win totals (SoccerPunter reports 41 matches; other sources report 43).
• Aston Villa’s home record against Fulham depends on the match count used; figures range from 9 to 11 wins across different aggregators.

The pattern: core match results are solid, but historical totals depend on which aggregator’s inclusion criteria you follow.

Quotes and perspectives

“Ryan Sessegnon’s goal late in the first half was enough to give Fulham a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa at Craven Cottage, boosting their hopes of European qualification.”

— Sky Sports match report (sports broadcaster)

“Fulham’s biggest rivalry is the West London derby, a collection of local fixtures against Chelsea, Brentford, and Queens Park Rangers that have defined the club’s identity for generations.”

— Wikipedia: West London derby (encyclopaedic reference)

The two blockquotes above frame the April 2026 result within two different contexts: the immediate European stakes and the deeper rivalry landscape that gives the fixture its character.

Comparison table: Head-to-head records

Three dimensions of the rivalry, one pattern: home advantage matters decisively in this fixture.

The implication: Aston Villa’s overall lead masks a narrowing gap. Fulham’s home form — 10 wins from 18 — makes Craven Cottage a genuine fortress in this fixture.

The recent 1-0 result at Craven Cottage is also covered in the Aston Villa vs Fulham standings article that details head-to-head stats and table implications.

Frequently asked questions

For Fulham, the April 2026 win over Aston Villa is a moment that matters beyond the three points — it signals that Craven Cottage has become a ground where European-chasing sides drop points. For Aston Villa, the fixture is a reminder that the head-to-head advantage they have built since 2001 only counts if they can translate it into results on the road. The next meeting at Villa Park will test whether Fulham’s away form can catch up to their home strength. For both clubs, the European qualification race will likely hinge on matches just like this one.

Related reading: Brentford F.C. vs Liverpool F.C. Timeline · Arsenal vs Aston Villa Lineups