West Ham vs. Aston Villa: Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

With David Moyes' contract not extended, a new era will begin at the London Stadium. Julen Lopetegui, who startled supporters when he left Wolves on the eve of the 2023–24 season, is currently in charge. Last year, West Ham had an underwhelming season, finishing ninth and nine points off the playoff spots.

With a goal differential of 14, the Hammers were the weakest team in the Premier League's upper half. They won as many games as they lost. Last season, West Ham had the fifth-worst goal differential of any club. The onus is now on Lopetegui to get West Ham playing at a European level again.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Players from the opposing squad are looking to continue their stellar form from the 2023–24 season. Unai Emery guided his team to a Champions League appearance in his first season as Aston Villa manager. The Villans' fourth-place finish was appropriate since they were two points ahead of Tottenham in fifth place.

The next thing to know is whether Emery and Aston Villa can manage the Premier League and the Champions League simultaneously. The previous season showed this was different for Newcastle United, as they were eliminated from the Champions League in the group stage and finished seventh in the Premier League.

West Ham has lost all three matches against Aston Villa, including last season's 4-1 loss at Villa Park. Before that loss, however, the Hammers had won six of their previous ten encounters with Villa.

West Ham x Aston Villa Team News

Despite having a new manager, West Ham's 4-2-3-1 formation will likely remain unchanged under Lopetegui. Given that West Ham paid £40 million to acquire Maximilian Kilman, a central defender who played under Lopetegui at Wolves, you would think he would start the season in defense. Who does he team up with, though?

With the sale of Douglas Luiz to Juventus, Aston Villa has already made a significant roster shakeup this summer. Thanks to the addition of Andre Onana and Ross Barkley, the latter of whom was on loan to the Villans in 2020–21, he might see action with Youri Tielemans and John McGinn up front. Also joining is Ian Maatsen, who has the potential to claim the left-back position as his own.

Our Predictions

Full-Time draw @ 3.55 on Sky247.ng

The last time Aston Villa traveled to the London Stadium, they were defeated by West Ham. Since 2011, they have gone nine games without a win, with two draws.

Ollie Watkins, the First Goalscorer

Ollie Watkins scored a goal away from Villa Park in 2023–24, making him the Premier League player with the most goals scored away from home (16). He and Erling Haaland were the only players to score ten goals on the road.

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