Preview: Aston Villa vs. West Ham United - prediction, team news, lineups

In danger of slipping out of the coveted Champions League positions, Aston Villa welcome relegation-threatened West Ham United to Villa Park in the 31st round of Premier League action on Sunday.

While 14 places separate the clubs in the table, West Ham are undeniably in healthier shape than their West Midlands hosts, who could lose a fourth successive top-flight match for the first time under Unai Emery.

Match preview

Villa were once part of the conversation for the Premier League title, but that is no longer the case, with the Villans now locked in a five-club tussle for three Champions League spots.

Emery’s fourth-placed side enter the weekend on 51 points, three behind Manchester United in third, but two clear of Liverpool, three ahead of Chelsea and six above outsiders Brentford in seventh.

However, the form table makes for interesting reading: Villa have suffered three consecutive defeats to Wolverhampton Wanderers (2-0), Chelsea (4-1) and Manchester United (3-1), a run that would leave them 17th if only results from the past five weeks were considered.

That picture looks even bleaker when extended to the last 10 rounds, with Emery’s team 18th in that period with nine points, one more than Burnley and six better than Tottenham Hotspur.

This underlines the magnitude of the Villans’ struggle for results since the turn of the year, as the West Midlands club are the division’s lowest scorers in that time with 10 goals, despite being the joint-fifth highest scorers between August and December (30).

While the Europa League has provided some respite in recent weeks, Emery is now in danger of losing four league matches in succession for the first time in his managerial career, an outcome that could see Villa surrender their Champions League spot.

It will be interesting to see whether Nuno Espirito Santo can mastermind a victory for the East Londoners, who could climb out of the bottom three this weekend with favourable results elsewhere.

The 18th-placed Hammers are level on 29 points with Tottenham Hotspur, with the North London side currently outside the dreaded drop zone on goal difference heading into this round of games.

West Ham’s upswing in 2026 is underlined by their joint-sixth ranking over the past 10 matches, with the capital club’s 15 points in that span only eight fewer than Manchester United’s 23.

Those 15 points earned in that period outstrip the 14 accumulated in the campaign’s opening 20 rounds, further underscoring the team’s upturn as they look to preserve their 14-year status in the Premier League.

That ambition will be tested by a trip to this weekend’s opponents, against whom they have not won in seven encounters in all competitions — six in the Premier League — dating back to August 2022, when they claimed a 1-0 victory to record a fifth consecutive win over the Villans.

With that former dominance giving way to a dismal recent run, West Ham may have history against them, but they will hope to exploit Villa’s significant drop-off to inflict a fourth successive league defeat on Emery.

Aston Villa Premier League form:

Aston Villa form (all competitions):

West Ham United Premier League form:

West Ham United form (all competitions):

Team News

Youri Tielemans (ankle) is back in training and may face a late fitness test ahead of a possible first appearance since January, but Boubacar Kamara (knee) remains absent.

No Villa player has reached double figures for league goals, so the hosts will lean on Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins — both of whom have eight apiece — to shoulder the burden on Sunday.

Interestingly, all of Rogers’s league goals have either put Villa ahead or brought them level, and the attacking midfielder — who has notched five assists so far — will aim to continue scoring decisive goals for the West Midlands club.

While Oliver Scarles has been passed fit for West Ham, Crysencio Summerville (calf) and Lukasz Fabianski (back) remain on the treatment table.

Although Jarrod Bowen has not scored since late January, the forward has contributed to West Ham’s recent results, providing assists in three consecutive games and four of the last five, taking him to 14 goal contributions this term.

If the England international sets up another goal on Sunday, he will emulate Vladimir Coufal’s September-October 2023 achievement, when the Czech full-back assisted against Manchester City, Liverpool, Sheffield United and Newcastle United.

Although Callum Wilson is not expected to start Sunday’s fixture, his record of scoring four times from 16 shots in away matches makes him a potential match-winning option for the Hammers off the bench.

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:

Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Onana, Luiz; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins

West Ham United possible starting lineup:

Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Soucek, Magassa; Bowen, Fernandes, Pablo; Castellanos

We say: Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham United

West Ham’s upswing in form and Bowen’s creative influence could expose Villa’s fragility at key moments.

While Villa may ultimately avoid defeat, the spoils could be shared in the West Midlands, with Emery steering clear of a fourth consecutive league loss for the first time in his career.

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