West Ham United will host Aston Villa at the London Stadium on Saturday, looking to kick-start the new season on a high.
Julen Lopetegui will look to begin his tenure as the West Ham United manager with a bang when they welcome Aston Villa to the London Stadium on Saturday. The Hammers will be hoping to push for domestic trophies and European qualification in the upcoming campaign. They need to start well to build some confidence and momentum.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa have secured UEFA Champions League qualification for the upcoming season, and they will look to establish themselves as regulars in European football. Unai Emery has a talented squad at his disposal, and the West Midlands outfit will look to start well.
Both teams are capable of grinding out a win here, and this should be a cracking contest. Both sets of fans will be expecting a strong performance from the players, and it remains to be seen whether they can step up and deliver. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
West Ham United will be without Edson Alvarez because of a thigh injury. Apart from that, the home side do not have any major injury problems heading into this contest.
The Hammers are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Aston Villa, with Alphonse Areola in goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson Palmieri will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things compact defensively and join in during the counter-attacking situations. Max Kilman will start at the heart of the defence alongside Jean-Clair Todibo.
As for the midfield unit, Guido Rodriguez will start alongside Lucas Paqueta in the double pivot. Rodriguez will look to break up opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side. Paqueta will look to add creativity and drive to the side.
Mohammed Kudus will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to link up with Niclas Fullkrug in the attack and get on the score sheet. Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville will start in the wide areas. The two players will look to add pace, flair and creativity from the flanks. The duo has a proven goalscoring record, and they will look to find the back of the net as well.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka. Kilman, Todibo, Emerson; Rodriguez, Paqueta; Bowen, Kudus, Summerville; Fullkrug
Aston Villa
The visitors will be without Boubacar Kamara because of a knee injury, and Tyrone Mings is set to miss out with a similar problem. Robin Olsen is unavailable due to a face injury.
Aston Villa shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation as well against West Ham United, with Emiliano Martinez in goal. Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out in the attack and protect the central defenders as well. At the heart of the defence, Ezri Konsa will start alongside Pau Torres.
As for the midfield unit, Amadou Onana will break up opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side. Youri Tielemans will add control and composure alongside him. Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers will add pace, flair and creativity from the flanks. John McGinn will start as the central attacking midfielder. He will add drive to the side as well. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Rogers, McGinn, Bailey; Watkins
Key Stats
- West Ham United are undefeated in their last 10 home matches against Aston Villa in all competitions.
- West Ham have conceded at least two goals in five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in West Ham’s last five games in the Premier League.
- Five of the last six matches between these two teams have seen both sides get on the score sheet.
- 18 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
The England international was in outstanding form for Aston Villa last season, and he will look to continue in that form this term as well. Watkins will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates with his link-up play and technicality in the final third. He will look to get on the score sheet as well. Aston Villa will need him to step up and deliver if they want to grind out a vital away win here.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-1 Aston Villa
Both teams are quite evenly matched, and this one should be a cracking contest. The two sides are packed with quality attacking talent, and this is likely to be an entertaining affair as well. Both sides are likely to get on the scoresheet, but they could end up cancelling each other out. A goalscoring draw seems quite likely.
