Aston Villa will begin round No. 29 in fourth place, two points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, in the race for Champions League qualification. Can Aston Villa keep their top-four hopes alive against the Hammers this weekend?
While several Premier League matches have been postponed due to the FA Cup, Aston Villa will travel to East London to face off with West Ham and the London Stadium.
Non-Aston Villa fans may have forgotten just how well the club is doing this season.
Seat secured in the quarter-finals 🪑 pic.twitter.com/rvXRe2piuQ— West Ham United (@WestHam) March 14, 2024
Seat secured in the quarter-finals 🪑 pic.twitter.com/rvXRe2piuQ
Since falling off the pace for the Premier League title around Christmas, Aston Villa have kept a steady pace in the league, and could still qualify for next season’s Champions League.
West Ham will attempt to dent Villa’s hopes of a top-four finish. David Moyes’ team, who qualified for the Europa League quarterfinals in midweek, are seventh in the standings and unbeaten in three straight Premier League games.
The Hammers took seven points from the last nine points on offer. All three matches saw both teams score and over 2.5 goals, as West Ham defeated Brentford and Everton before drawing 2-2 a week ago with Burnley.
Aston Villa are fresh off a 4-0 loss at home to top-four rival Tottenham. It was a devastating Champions League qualification six-point defeat. The loss to Spurs ended Villa’s three-match winning streak.
Aston Villa rolled to a 4-1 win over West Ham in the reverse fixture at Villa Park. Douglas Luiz scored twice, once from the penalty spot, before Jarrod Bowen pulled West Ham a goal back.
Ollie Watkins restored Aston Villa’s two-goal lead in the 74th minute. Leon Bailey put the match to bed with a goal in the 89th minute.
Villa manager Unai Emery could be without Watkins. The striker suffered a left leg injury in Thursday’s Conference League win over Ajax. He scored the match’s first goal, as Villa romped 4-0.
Emi Buendia will miss the game due to a knee injury. Midfielder John McGinn will also miss out due to a suspension.
Watkins, if absent, would be a big miss. He leads the team in goal scoring stats with 16 goals. The England striker is second in the Premier League in goal scoring and could win the Golden Boot this term.
Moyes could have the duo of Maxwel Cornet and Emerson Palmeri back from their respective injuries. They will be game-time decisions.
Forward Bowen, who scored in the reverse fixture, leads West Ham in goals with 14. He is also in the running for this season’s Golden Boot.
So, which team does our AI score prediction predict will win on Sunday? Aston Villa strolled to a 4-1 win the last time these teams met. This time, Villa should win again, but by a 3-1 scoreline.