Aston Villa vs West Ham Prediction: Team News and Lineups Preview

Ahead of the weekend, here’s a prediction, team news, lineups, and fixtures preview for Aston Villa vs West Ham. Unai Emery’s men are the likeliest victors when these sides meet. 

Villa won when these sides met a little over a fortnight ago in the FA Cup. Graham Potter will be eager to claim a positive result after a disappointing display last time out. The Hammers lack any real attacking threat, so bringing in a striker within the next few days could be vital. Potter’s side failed to record a shot on target against Palace. It’s unconfirmed if West Ham’s bid for Villa’s Jhon Duran has been or will be accepted.

Aston Villa vs West Ham Prediction: Back Villa To Start Fast

England, Premier League, Sunday, January 26th, 16:30 (UK)

Aston Villa will appreciate that they’re at Villa Park. Unai Emery’s men have performed far better at this venue than on the road. The hosts have lost here since August, a ten-match streak. They rarely blow teams away, but they may not need to score many when West Ham make the trip for the second time this month. The Hammers lost here in the FA Cup despite a flawless opening 45 minutes. 

When combining the 23/24 campaign and the current term, Villa boasts an 18-8-4 (WDL) record. That’s impressive, considering the quality in the division. It also shows what a fantastic manager Unai Emery is. Champions League football is back in the city. Performance levels have perhaps dropped since last term, but that was almost expected, given the extra commitments. 

Graham Potter was the right appointment for West Ham. The former Brighton and Chelsea boss is highly-respected despite his challenging time at the London club. He’s a football man and aims to play with a positive approach. It’s been a tough start with several offensive injuries, including club captain Jarrod Bowen. Potter has his work cut out, but you can be sure that things will improve over time. 

It’s understandable why Villa are favourites. They’re in a better position than West Ham, have an impressive record at this venue and have fewer players in the treatment room. West Ham’s only attacking player in their previous encounter was Mohammed Kudus. The Ghanaian is a terrific individual, but with Bowen, Antonio, Fullkrug and Summerville unavailable, goals could be few and far between. 

It was a game of two halves when these sides met earlier in the month. Aston Villa didn’t register an attempt inside the opening half. Emery’s team talk worked wonders. Villa came out firing. They accumulated 16 shots, five hit the target and accumulated 2.04xG. The hosts know they can cause West Ham damage, especially now that the London club has injuries. 

West Ham finished their clash with Palace with just 0.28xG. That’s not good enough. It’s no guarantee that they find the back of the net here, especially if Villa perform at a level we know they can reach. A home win is priced at 1.55. Backing them to start fast and lead at the interval is an intriguing 2.10. I struggle to see Potter’s side cause much-attacking threat. A single goal could be enough for the proposed selection to land.  

• Aston Villa vs West Ham Prediction: Aston Villa HT Result (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 2.10
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 5/10 (TRACKED BET)

Aston Villa vs West Ham Prediction odds via bet365 as at 09:00, January 22nd, 2024. Odds may now differ.

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Aston Villa vs West Ham Injuries, Team News and Possible Lineups Prediction: Visitors Light In Attack

All four of Villa’s absentees are likely to return in early February. Pau Torres has a foot injury, McGinn and Onana suffer from hamstring issues, whilst Ross Barkley has a calf injury. All four players are key to Unai Emery and will be out for minimal time.

Graham Potter will be desperate to get his offensive players back to full fitness as quickly as possible. Niclas Fullkrug suffered from a hamstring problem at this venue a fortnight ago. Jarrod Bowen’s foot injury is keeping him sidelined until March. Antonio’s absence is known to all.

Summerville is unlikely to feature. A lot of pressure is on Mohammed Kudus’s shoulders in attack.

Mavropanos was sent off in West Ham’s defeat last weekend. Jean-Clair Todibo is a doubt. The Hammers are struggling with numbers at both ends of the pitch. It could be another painful watch for the West Ham fans. 

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen, Kamara, Onana, Rogers, Tielemans, Ramsey, Watkins

West Ham possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Kilman, Coufal, Cresswell, AWB, Emerson, Alvarez, Rodriguez, Paqueta, Soucek, Kudus

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Match OPTA Stats:

• Aston Villa have won two of their last three Premier League games against West Ham (D1), as many as  they had in their previous 16 (D6 L8). 
• West Ham’s 4-1 defeat in this exact fixture last season ended a five game unbeaten run away against  Aston Villa in the Premier League (W3 D2). They last lost consecutive visits to Villa Park in February 2013. 
• Following their 2-1 win at the London Stadium on the opening weekend, Aston Villa are looking to complete  their first league double over West Ham since 2010-11, when the Hammers finished bottom of the table. 
• Only Arsenal (14) are on a longer home unbeaten run in the Premier League than Aston Villa (10 – W6 D4). Villa have only had three previous runs of 11+ unbeaten games at Villa Park, most recently between March  and December 2023 when they won 16 out of 17 games (D1). 
• West Ham’s last away game was a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round earlier this month,  with the Hammers losing 10 of their last 16 on the road (W3 D3). The last Premier League side to lose  consecutive away games against the same team was Everton against Bournemouth in November 2022. 

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