FULHAM
Schwarzer
Baird, A. Hughes, Hangeland, J. Riise
Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Dempsey
Dembele, Zamora
ASTON VILLA
Given
Young, Dunne, Collins, Warnock
Albrighton, Petrov, Bannan, N'Zogbia
Heskey, Bent
Summer signing John Arne Riise will likely be the only new face in an otherwise settled Fulham starting XI, as new boss Martin Jol looks to capitalise on the match sharpness borne out of his side’s involvement in Europa League qualifying to make a fast start to the season.
Target man Bobby Zamora, fit again after missing five months of last season with a broken leg, will be the focal point of the attack as he looks to hold the ball up in the final third and allow the likes of Moussa Dembele, Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey to exert influence on proceedings. New boss Alex McLeish will be forced to reshape the Villa midfield after the high profile departures of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing this summer and the absence of Jean Makoun and Stephen Ireland through injury.
Scotland international Barry Bannan will most probably deputise in the centre alongside captain Stilian Petrov, while Marc Albrighton and new signing Charles N’Zogbia will likely switch flanks throughout in a bid to provide the service for Emile Heskey and key man Darren Bent.
DID YOU KNOW?
Both managers will be overseeing their first Premier League matches in charge of their new teams on Saturday.
N’Zogbia and Given of Aston Villa and Riise (pictured right) of Fulham are set to make their Premier League debuts for their new clubs.
Fulham and Aston Villa were separated by just one league position – Fulham in 8th, Aston Villa in 9th – and just one point in last season’s final Premier League table.
Both meetings between these two sides last season ended as draws.
Fulham have never lost at Craven Cottage on the opening day of a Premier League season.
Despite clocking up 322 matches between them in English football since 2004, Jol and McLeish have never actually faced each other in management. Jol was sacked from Tottenham Hotspur in October 2007, one month before McLeish took charge at Birmingham City.
This is the first time Fulham have kicked off a Premier League campaign at Craven Cottage since the 2005/06 season, when they drew 0-0 at home to Birmingham City.
Aston Villa striker Bent will fancy his chances of scoring on Saturday – he has found the net on the opening day in four of the last six Premier League seasons.
Fulham midfielder Steve Sidwell could be in line to face former club Aston Villa.
For Fulham’s Andrew Johnson and Stephen Kelly, an opening day victory over Aston Villa might be even sweeter than usual as both are former Birmingham City players.
Prediction
Editor Prediction
Fulham 1-2 Aston Villa 
