West Ham United will host Aston Villa at the London Stadium on Sunday, looking to continue their fight for survival with a positive performance at home.

West Ham United are unbeaten in five of their last six matches in all competitions ahead of the game vs Aston Villa, but they are without a win in the last four. They need to turn the draws into victories if they want to survive in the Premier League.

On the other hand, Aston Villa are in spectacular form. The Villans are on an eight-match winning run across all competitions, and they are third in the Premier League table. Unai Emery’s men managed to beat Arsenal in their last league game, and they will certainly fancy their chances of getting all three points here.

It will be interesting to see if they can step up their performance levels and grind out a positive result away from home. The away side will look to secure UEFA Champions League qualification for the upcoming campaign, and they need to win these games. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

West Ham United

Lukasz Fabianski will miss out due to a lower back issue. Meanwhile, Oliver Scarles is recovering from a should issue. However, Igor Julio is available after missing the game against Brighton & Hove Albion due to the terms of his loan deal.

West Ham United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Aston Villa, with Alphonse Areola in goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Max Kilman will form the central defensive partnership alongside Jean-Clair Todibo.

As for the midfield unit, Tomas Soucek will start alongside Soungoutou Magassa in the double pivot. They will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the midfield. Mateus Fernandes will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.

Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta will add creativity, flair, and goals from the flanks. Finally, Callum Wilson will spearhead the West Ham United attack vs Aston Villa at the London Stadium on Sunday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Diouf; Magassa, Soucek; Bowen, Fernandes, Paqueta; Wilson

Aston Villa

Tyrone Mings is out with a hamstring injury, while Ross Barkley is recovering from a knee issue. Meanwhile, Unai Emery is sweating over the fitness of Emiliano Martinez (lower back) and Pau Torres (calf), and both players face late fitness tests to determine their availability.

Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs West Ham United, with Emiliano Martinez in goal. Marco Bizot will deputise between the sticks if the Argentine international is not available. Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa will pair up alongside Pau Torres at the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn will add defensive cover and drive in the middle of the park. Morgan Rogers will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack.

Donyell Malen and Evann Guessand will start on the flanks. They will look to create goalscoring opportunities and add unpredictability in the final third. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa vs West Ham United on Sunday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, McGinn; Malen, Rogers, Guessand; Watkins

Key Stats

• Aston Villa have won nine of their last ten matches in the Premier League.
• Aston Villa have won with a one-goal margin in their last four matches in the Premier League.
• Aston Villa are unbeaten in theur last six matches against West Ham United.
• 17 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
• The two teams have scored in each of the last six meetings between them.

Player to Watch

Morgan Rogers

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The Aston Villa midfielder is our key player to watch out for. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates in the final third and score goals as well. West Ham have been quite vulnerable defensively, and they have conceded 29 goals in 15 league matches. They will find it difficult to keep Rogers in control, and he could make a big difference in the final third.

Aston Villa will need him to step up and produce a strong performance in the final third if they want to grind out all three points. West Ham will look to shut up shop here, and Aston Villa will need the ingenuity and flair of Morgan Rogers to open them up.

Prediction

West Ham United 1-2 Aston Villa

Aston Villa are certainly the better team here, but this will be a difficult outing for them. West Ham have been difficult to beat in recent weeks. They will look to make life difficult for the opposition. The Hammers are fighting for survival, and they simply cannot afford to lose at home.

Aston Villa will have to work hard to get the job done. This will be a close contest, and both teams are likely to get on the score sheet. However, the visitors should be able to pick up a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Unai Emery and his charges.