'Big, big game'
Marco Silva also talked up the importance of the match with the Fulham boss describing it as akin to a cup final.
The Fulham boss said: "Big, big game.
"Big, big game for us, and I really believe it’s a big game for Villa too. An amazing place to play football, a great environment to be in.
"The pressure from the Villa supporters is going to be big.
"It’s a great challenge for us, another great test. We really love to play in these types of games, and we need to step in and show our quality.
"We need to show why this is like another final for us, show why we’re only just behind them in the table – a team that achieved the quarter-finals of the Champions League, a team that attacked the market in January, showing the ambition that they have.
"They were able to sign players like [Marcus] Rashford, [Donyell] Malen and [Marco] Asensio for the attacking line.
"We are talking about a team that showed their ambition, not just last pre-season, but in January by making five signings.
"They were really assertive and Unai is always saying about the solutions he has, and the competition he has in the squad.
"They have high quality all round their squad – and it’s going to be a great test for us.
“They are very well managed as well, with a clear idea of how they want to play. We have to play at our best.
"It’s a clear final for both sides and we need to show our quality and personality."
