West Ham United face off against Villa in the Premier League opening day this weekend to start the new 2024-2025 season with a bang. So, who will come out on top? Will Unai Emery be able to improve on this standing with the team last year, or will Lopetegui, the new West Ham manager, make a splash during his debut coaching role in the Prem?
West Ham United vs. Aston Villa – Predictions
West Ham United faces Villa at London Stadium in the UK on Saturday, August 17th, at 17:30 BST. in the last five games where these two teams faced off against one another, it has been extremely close — West Ham United has only slightly come out on top against Lopetegui’s new side, winning two out of the five matches.
Both teams’ current forms mean that they have a lot to prove coming into the new season. The pre-season was rough for West Ham, as they drew to Celta Vigo this past week, a game they easily should have won. Previously in pre-season, they tied Ferencvaros 2-2, beat Dagenham and Redbridge only by one goal, and lost to both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace. If this is any indication of how their new season will go, they won’t make the top ten.
On the other side of the field, Aston Villa faced off against a myriad of teams in their pre-season camp. They lost to Columbus Crew by a shocking 4-1 defeat a few weeks ago, followed by two more defeats to Club America and RB Leipzig — both without scoring any goals. Two weeks ago, they barely scraped out a 3-2 win against Athletic Club, which revamped their spirits. But, last week, they lost to Dortmund 2-0, showing just how good the Bundesliga Champions League team can be.
West Ham United Team News
Looking at the current squad for West Ham United that is available for this first game of the season, the new coach could choose any one of their summer transfer signings to make an impact and join the starting eleven. Kilman, Guilherme, Summerville, Rodriguez, Fullkrug, and Todibo are all new signings that could either start the match or come in as a super sub throughout the game.
Jarrod Bowen, the West Ham United captain, has made a great impact as a leader on the pitch so far in the preseason games. He will surely be a starter in midfield, alongside Ward-Prowse and Rodriguez for the first game.
Aston Villa Team News
For Villa, a few players are missing from the squad list which could lead to disappointment for Aston Villa fans. Tyrone Mings has a long-term knee injury that will have him out for at least the beginning of the new season, followed by Kamara with an ACL tear and Olsen who is out with a short-term niggle.
Energy will have to make a few key decisions to see how he wants the new signings to slot into the lineup or fit into the game. We expect Onana and Philogene to start the game, with Archer and Ross Barkley coming on throughout the match. Tune in to see who takes the first three points in the West Ham United vs. Aston Villa match this weekend.
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