Aston Villa Aim to Maintain Premier League Momentum Against Struggling West Ham
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has emphasized the importance of consistency as his team looks to bounce back from their midweek UEFA Champions League defeat to Monaco. The Villans, currently sitting eighth in the Premier League with 36 points, will host West Ham United at Villa Park on Sunday, aiming to extend their unbeaten league run to five matches.
Villa’s 1-0 loss in Monaco on Tuesday interrupted their strong domestic form, which included a thrilling 2-2 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend. Emery remains focused on building consistency, particularly at home, where Villa have been dominant.
“Consistency is our objective, and we can improve it only by focusing on each match individually,” said Emery. “If we don’t win on Sunday, it means we are not being consistent at home. After two strong performances against Everton and Arsenal, we need to maintain this momentum.”
Villa Strengthen Squad in January Transfer Window
Aston Villa’s January transfer window saw the addition of 21-year-old right-back Andres Garcia from Levante, while center-back Diego Carlos departed for Turkish side Fenerbahce. Emery expressed confidence in Garcia’s potential and adaptability to the Premier League.
“He’s a young player with a lot of promise, and we’re working on ensuring he adapts quickly to the level of competition here,” said Emery. The Spanish coach also hinted at further transfer activity, stating, “We are open to strengthening the squad and replacing Carlos if needed.”
West Ham Look to Regroup Under Graham Potter
West Ham United, currently in 12th place with 26 points from 22 matches, are also dealing with squad challenges. New manager Graham Potter faces a striker shortage, with Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug unavailable. Potter acknowledged the need for reinforcements but remains focused on improving the team’s overall performance.
“At this time of year, there’s always speculation. We just need to ignore the noise, focus on the players we have, and keep working,” said Potter. He also provided updates on Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, who have returned to training but may not feature on Sunday.
“It’s great to have them back, but we need to manage their recovery carefully,” he said.
Players to Watch
Aston Villa – Ollie Watkins:
Watkins has been a key figure for Villa, with his late equalizer against Arsenal marking his 10th Premier League goal of the season. With 99 goal involvements in 168 league appearances for Villa (69 goals, 30 assists), he is one goal or assist away from becoming the fastest player to 100 goal involvements since Kevin De Bruyne in 2020.
West Ham – Tomas Soucek:
The Czech midfielder has been in fine form, contributing a goal and an assist in his last three league outings. With five goals this season, Soucek is West Ham’s joint top scorer alongside Bowen and remains a crucial player in their midfield.
Match Prediction: Aston Villa to Win
Aston Villa’s formidable home record gives them the upper hand. They are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games at Villa Park and have only lost once in the league since the start of the year. West Ham, by contrast, have struggled on the road, losing 10 of their last 16 away matches across all competitions.
A victory on Sunday would see Villa secure their first league double over West Ham since the 2010-11 season, having won 2-1 at the London Stadium on the opening weekend.
Key Stats:
- Villa are on a 10-match home winning streak in the Premier League.
- West Ham have lost their last away game to Villa in the FA Cup third round earlier this month.
- Aston Villa have won two of their last three Premier League matches against West Ham.
Predicted Result:
Aston Villa 3-1 West Ham
OPTA Win Probability
Aston Villa: 58.6%
Draw: 21.5%
West Ham: 19.9%