Aston Villa will host West Ham United at Villa Park on Sunday, hoping to resurrect their push for UEFA Champions League qualification.
Aston Villa have struggled in the Premier League in recent weeks, managing just one from their last six top-flight matches ahead of the game vs West Ham United this weekend. Unai Emery’s men are on a three-match losing streak in the league, and they will look to bounce back strongly. It remains to be seen whether they can grind out all three points.
Meanwhile, West Ham United are fighting for survival in the Premier League. The Hammers are 18th in the league table, and they need to pick up points here. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have lost just one of the last six league matches, and they have made themselves difficult to beat in recent weeks.
This will be a tough outing for Aston Villa, and they will need to raise their performance levels to get the job done. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Boubacar Kamara has a knee injury, and Youri Tielemans is recovering from an ankle injury. Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs West Ham United, with Emiliano Martinez in goal.
Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa will start alongside Pau Torres at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Amadou Onana and Douglas Luiz will provide defensive cover and control. Morgan Rogers will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, looking to link the midfield to the attack.
Jadon Sancho and John McGinn will start on the flanks. They will look to create goalscoring opportunities and add unpredictability in the final third. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa vs West Ham this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Luiz; McGinn, Rogers, Sancho; Watkins
West Ham United
Lukasz Fabianski will miss out due to a lower back injury, and Crysencio Summerville has a calf problem. However, Oliver Scarles is fit and available to take on Aston Villa after recovering from a minor issue.
West Ham United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Aston Villa, with Mads Hermansen in goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Konstantinos Mavropanos will start alongside Axel Disasi at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Tomas Soucek will start alongside Soungoutou Magassa in the pivot. They will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the midfield. Mateus Fernandes will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goal-scoring chances for his teammates.
Jarrod Bowen and Adama Traore will add creativity, flair, and goals from the flanks. Taty Castellanos will lead the line for West Ham United vs Aston Villa on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Soucek, Magassa; Bowen, Fernandes, Traore; Castellanos
Key Stats
- Aston Villa are undefeated in their last seven matches against West Ham United in all competitions. Meanwhile, 20 goals have been scored in the last six matches between the two teams.
- Aston Villa have picked up just one win from their last six Premier League matches.
- West Ham United have won two of their last six Premier League matches.
- No side has scored fewer Premier League goals so far in 2026 than Aston Villa (10). The Villans were the joint-fifth highest scorers between August and December this term with 30.
- Jarrod Bowen has been involved in seven goals in his last eight Premier League games (2 goals, 5 assists), providing an assist in each of his last three. The only West Ham player to assist a goal in four consecutive appearances is Vladimir Coufal in October 2023.
Player to Watch
Morgan Rogers
The Aston Villa playmaker is our key player to watch out for. Unai Emery will need him to step up and produce in the final third if they want to grind out a victory here. Rogers can help create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well. The Englishman has done quite well this season, and Aston Villa will depend on him to make a defining impact in the final third.
Meanwhile, All eight of Rogers’s Premier League goals this season have either put Aston Villa ahead (5) or drawn them level (3) in the match, the highest 100% such record in the competition this term.
So, West Ham United will need to keep him quiet if they want to get a good result here. He has the technical attributes and vision to open up the defence and cause all sorts of problems for the East London club.
Prediction
Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham United
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here for very different reasons, and this is likely to be a cracking contrast. Neither side is defensive in their approach, and they can be quite vulnerable at the back. This is likely to be an open game with plenty of chances.
Both teams will get on the score sheet here, but Aston Villa have more quality, and they should be able to grind out all three points at home. A narrow win for the home team is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Unai Emery and his charges.
