A mere 16 days ago, Aston Villa fought back from a goal down to beat West Ham 2-1 in the FA Cup. This means the Villans are unbeaten in four meetings with the Hammers, seeking a third successive victory in this claret clash, most-recently achieving this in 1977.
Aston Villa vs West Ham United Preview
Having beaten the same opposition at the same venue little over a fortnight ago, Aston Villa will be hoping for the same outcome when West Ham return to Birmingham. Last weekend, Unai Emery's team fought back from 2-0 down to earn a credible 2-2 draw at Arsenal, thanks to quick-fire second half goals from Youri Tielemans and then Ollie Watkins in North London. The Claret and Blue Army are now unbeaten in four Premier League games, undefeated in ten at home, including winning four of their last five in front of their own supporters.
This leaves the Villans eighth, thereby occupying the final potential European spot, a mere two points adrift the Champions League positions. In this season's Champions League, Villa's hopes of going through to the round of 16 suffered a set back on Tuesday evening, beaten 1-0 by Monaco in the Principality, putting in a flat performance in a flat atmosphere at Stade Louis II. This saw Emery's team slip down to ninth, below Bayer Leverkusen on goal difference, knowing victory over Celtic this forthcoming Wednesday should be enough to see them sneak into the top eight. Before then, will Villa collect three points from this claret clash?
West Ham United meantime have made a mixed start to life under Graham Potter. His first game in charge was that aforementioned 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Villa Park before, four nights later, the Irons claimed a much-needed 3-2 victory over Fulham; Carlos Soler, Tomáš Souček, and Lucas Paquetá the scorers at the London Stadium. However, like their bubbles, the Hammers' now-found optimism quickly faded and died, beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace at home last weekend, with Konstantinos Mavropanos sent off on a miserable afternoon in East London. This defeat leaves West Ham down in 14th and, with trips to Chelsea and Arsenal to come in February, their performances are going to need to drastically improve if they're to get back into European contention.
Aston Villa vs West Ham United Head-to-Head Record
- Matches Played: 122.
- Aston Villa Wins: 41. Draws: 36. West Ham United Wins: 45.
Aston Villa Team News
Pau Torres, Amadou Onana, John McGinn and Ross Barkley are all sidelined, but Andrés García and Donyell Malen are both hoping to debut, having arrived from Levante and Borussia Dortmund respectively. Emi Buendía made a very rare start against Monaco, largely due to limited midfield options, but Jacob Ramsey could return this time, while the eternal question remains: will Unai Emery go for Jhon Durán or Ollie Watkins up front, with the Colombian yet to start since being sent off on Boxing Day?
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs West Ham United: (4-2-3-1): Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans, Ramsey, Bailey, Rogers; Watkins.
Aston Villa Player to Watch vs West Ham United
Jhon Durán scored the winner at the London Stadium on the opening day, after West Ham had attempted to sign him all summer, with the Hammers reportedly submitting a formal bid for his services this week too, so can he show his suitors what they're missing out on?
West Ham United Team News
Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Füllkrug and Michail Antonio remain sidelined long-term, while Konstantinos Mavropanos' red card last weekend means he is suspended. In the continued absence of Jean-Clair Todibo, this leaves Graham Potter very short of defensive options, likely to deploy a back three, featuring full-backs Vladimír Coufal and Aaron Cresswell either-side of Max Kilman. At the other end of the field, with Danny Ings the only senior centre-forward available, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paquetá will continue to be used in more advanced positions.
West Ham United predicted lineup vs Aston Villa: (3-5-2): Fabiański; Wan-Bissaka, Coufal, Kilman, Cresswell, Emerson; Álvarez, Rodríguez, Souček; Paquetá, Kudus.
West Ham United Player to Watch vs Aston Villa
Mohammed Kudus has just three goals to his name this season, with the Ghanian yet to score in four previous meetings with Aston Villa, a statistics that'll surely need to change if West Ham harbour any hopes of a positive result.
Aston Villa vs West Ham United Prediction
We cannot see beyond a home win. Aston Villa are very strong at home, while depleted West Ham continue to underwhelm, hence why the claret clash will surely only go one way: Aston Villa 3-1 West Ham United.
Aston Villa vs West Ham United FAQs - Premier League
How to watch Aston Villa vs West Ham United Premier League game on TV channel?
Aston Villa vs West Ham United Premier League game will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League & Ultra HD.
- USA: fuboTV, NBC, Telemundo & Deportes En Vivo
- Canada: Fubo Sports Network 5 Canada
How to watch Aston Villa vs West Ham United Premier League game on live streaming?
Aston Villa vs West Ham United Premier League game will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: SkyGo & NOW TV.
- USA: fuboTV, nbcsports.com, USA Network, Telemundo & SiriusXM FC
- Canada: fuboTV Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Aston Villa vs West Ham United in the Premier League?
Aston Villa vs West Ham takes place on Sunday 26 January 2024, with kick off at 16:30 (GMT), 11:30 (EDT) & 8:30 (PST).