At A Glance
West Ham United roll into town on Sunday afternoon as Aston Villa’s Premier League campaign continues at Villa Park.
The Hammers are fresh from securing their place in the EFL Cup quarter finals courtesy of a penalty shoot-out success against Manchester City in midweek.
David Moyes’ team, who are yet to lose away in the league this term, started the weekend in fourth place having won their last two top-flight games 1-0.
Villa’s form has taken a hit in recent weeks and three straight league defeats have seen Dean Smith’s men slide down the table.
However, their form at Villa Park has been a plus point this season and seven of Villa’s ten points have been collected on home turf.
Arsenal put the Villans to the sword last time out, with Jacob Ramsey netting his first senior goal for the club in a 3-1 loss.
Standout Stats
Aston Villa are winless in their last six Premier League meetings with West Ham (D3 L3) since a 1-0 home win in May 2015
West Ham won this exact fixture 3-1 last season and are looking to pick up consecutive away league wins against Aston Villa for the first time since a run of three between 1965 and 1967.
Aston Villa have lost each of their last three Premier League games, last having a longer such run in the competition in February/March 2020 (4).
West Ham have won 17 points from their nine Premier League games this season (W5 D2 L2), their best start to a season since 2015-16 under Slaven Bilic (also had 17 pts). The Hammers have only won six of their opening 10 games in five previous top-flight seasons and once in the Premier League, the aforementioned 2015-16 campaign.
Aston Villa have lost all three of their Premier League games in October 2021 – the last time they played as many as four league games in a month and lost every single one was in April 2016 (lost 5/5).
West Ham are unbeaten in their last seven away Premier League matches (W5 D2), last having a longer unbeaten run on the road in the top-flight between August and November 1986 (eight in a row).
Aston Villa striker Danny Ings has faced West Ham in the Premier League more often without ever scoring than he has any other opponent (9 games). Indeed, he’s also ended on the losing side in eight of his nine appearances against the Hammers in the top-flight, drawing the other.
After a 12-game winless run against Aston Villa in the Premier League between 2006 and 2012 (D8 L4), West Ham boss David Moyes has won five of his last seven against them in the competition (D2).
Only Mohamed Salah (10 goals, 5 assists) has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than West Ham’s Michail Antonio this season (6 goals, 3 assists). Since David Moyes returned to the club in January 2020, Antonio has 25 goals and 10 assists in 49 appearances, 14 more goal involvements than any other Hammers player.
Jacob Ramsey netted his first Premier League goal for Aston Villa in their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, aged 20 years and 147 days, their youngest top-flight scorer since Jack Grealish in September 2015 (20y 3d). The last player as young as Ramsey on the day of this game (20y 156d) to score in consecutive Premier League games for Villa was Gabriel Agbonlahor in January 2007 (20y 99d).
The Last Meeting
Jesse Lingard stole the show on his West Ham debut, putting Aston Villa to the sword with a brace in a 3-1 Premier League win for the Hammers at Villa Park.
Tomáš Souček got the scoring started after 51 minutes, with Lingard doubling their advantage five minutes later.
Ollie Watkins pulled one back as the game moved into the final ten minutes, but Lingard struck quickly to secure all three points for his side.
Team News
Dean Smith confirmed on Friday that he will be without Morgan Sanson and Jaden-Philogene-Bidace, who are both sidelined with illness.
Emi Martinez is available after returning to Argentina for personal reasons, while Trezeguet is still working his way back to full fitness.
David Moyes saw Vladimír Coufal return to action in the Carabao Cup in midweek, while Ryan Fredericks is working his way back from injury and Alex Kral is available again after testing positive for COVID.
The Boss
"They’re in a really good moment. They’re on the back of two Premier League victories against Everton and Tottenham and a cup win against Manchester City. They’re a very good team with a very good coach. I’m full of respect for David Moyes and how well he’s done at West Ham. He’s got them playing in Europe this season and they’re playing very well. I expect a tough game, but it’s one we’re looking forward too. They’ve got a very good squad and a way of playing that suits their players. They have a good understanding, a good organisation and good players. When you’ve got those ingredients for a good team, I expected them to be pushing again this season.”
Dean Smith
