A spot in the FA Cup fourth round will be on the line when Aston Villa and West Ham United clash in a high-profile tie in the third round at Villa Park on Friday.
The 2024/25 FA Cup third round will continue on Friday, which will feature two matches. The action on the day will start with the game between Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth before ending with Aston Villa vs West Ham United at Villa Park.
Unai Emery would have hoped to continue his team’s progress under him after guiding Aston Villa to the top four last season. However, while the Villans have been impressive in the UEFA Champions League, they have blown hot and cold in the Premier League. The hosts have struggled to stitch long winning runs, which has contributed to their current eighth-place position in the standings.
On the other hand, the Julen Lopetegui experiment did not yield the desited results at West Ham United. Graham Potter has replaced the beleaguered Spanish tactician, although he does not have long to prepare for his first game. So, the former Chelsea manager might not have the ideal circumstances to start repairing his image.
Aston Villa and West Ham United have clashed once this season, with the West Midlands outfit clinching a 2-1 win in August. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Unai Emery has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Aston Villa manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players vs West Ham United on Friday.
John McGinn is the latest absentee after picking up a hamstring injury last weekend against Leicester City. The Aston Villa captain has joined Pau Torres and Diego Carlos on the sidelines, with the defensive duo recovering from foot issues. Meanwhile, Jhon Duran remains unavailable due to his suspension.
However, Morgan Rogers has served a suspension and will be available to take on West Ham United. Meanwhile, Jaden Philogene has played his final game for Aston Villa as he closes in on joining Ipswich Town.
Emiliano Martinez should take his spot between the sticks, with Aston Villa lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs West Ham United on Friday. The backline should feature Lamare Bogarde, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, and Ian Maatsen.
As for the midfield unit, Ross Barkley should make a rare start, pairing up with Amadou Onana in the double pivot. Emiliano Buendia should reprise the no. 10 role, with Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey being the two wide attackers. Finally, there is no looking past Ollie Watkins as the central striker.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Bogarde, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen; Barkley, Onana; Bailey, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins
West Ham United
Unlike his counterpart in the Aston Villa dugout, Graham Potter does not have any new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Villa Park. The West Ham United manager might be without as many as five first-team players.
Jean-Clair Todibo (unspecified), Jarrod Bowen (foot), and Michail Antonio are on the sidelines, with the trio not returning anytime soon. Meanwhile, Lukasz Fabianski (head) and Emerson Palmieri (knock) are closing in on returning, although Friday’s game might have come too soon for the duo.
Alphonse Areola will take his spot between the sticks, with West Ham United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Aston Villa on Friday. The backline should feature Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Max Kilman, and Aaron Cresswell.
As for the midfield unit, Guido Rodriguez and Tomas Soucek should pair up in the double pivot. Lucas Paqueta will reprise the no. 10 role, with Mohammed Kudus and Crysencio Summerville being the two wide attackers. Finally, Niclas Fullkrug will lead the line for West Ham against Aston Villa on Friday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Cresswell; Soucek, Rodriguez; Kudus, Paqueta, Summerville; Fullkrug
Key Stats
- Friday’s clash will be the first FA Cup meeting between Aston Villa and West Ham United since March 1980, with the Hammers winning a quarter-final tie 1-0 en route to winning the trophy.
- Aston Villa beat 2-1 in the Premier League in August, but they have not won consecutive games vs the Hammers in all competitions since completing the league double over them in 2010/11.
- Having lost seven consecutive FA Cup third-round matches between 2016/17 and 2022/23, Aston Villa beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at this stage last season. They most recently reached the fourth round in consecutive campaigns in 2014-15/2015-16.
- Bristol City eliminated West Ham United in the FA Cup third round last season. The Hammers have not gone out at this stage of the competition in consecutive campaigns since a run of three between 2011/12 and 2013/14.
- Aston Villa have lost their six home games in the FA Cup. Excluding non-league sides, only Rotherham United have ever lost more in a row in the competition’s history (7 between 2002 and 2008).
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
While Mohammed Kudus and Niclas Fullkrug were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Ollie Watkins as our Player to Watch. Like the West Ham United attackers, Watkins has flattered to deceive this term after an exceptional 2023/24 campaign.
With Jhon Duran unavailable, the Villans do not have the unprecedented safety net that the Colombian international has provided this season. So, the onus will be on Watkins to deliver the goods and guide Aston Villa to the FA Cup fourth round this week.
Prediction
Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham United
Neither team has experienced a particularly enjoyable 2024/25 campaign, meaning the FA Cup can provide some respite. However, we might see Unai Emery and Graham Potter rotating their troops on Friday, leading to an action-packed affair at Villa Park.
Several West Ham United players will have a point to prove as they look to re-establish their credentials under Graham Potter. However, Ollie Watkins will deliver the goods and help Aston Villa seal another narrow victory over West Ham United. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Emery and his charges.