Aston Villa will host West Ham United at Villa Park on Sunday, hoping to resurrect their push for UEFA Champions League qualification.

Aston Villa have struggled in the Premier League in recent weeks, managing just one from their last six top-flight matches ahead of the game vs West Ham United this weekend. They are on a three-match losing streak in the league, and they will look to bounce back strongly. It remains to be seen whether they can grind out all three points.

Meanwhile, West Ham United are fighting for survival in the Premier League. They are 18th in the league table, and they need to pick up points here. They have lost just one of the last six league matches, and they have made themselves difficult to beat in recent weeks. This will be a tough outing for Aston Villa, and they will need to raise their performance levels in order to get the job done.

Team News & Tactics

Aston Villa

Boubacar Kamara has a knee injury, and Youri Tielemans is recovering from an ankle injury.

Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs West Ham United, with Emiliano Martinez in goal. 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 start alongside Pau Torres at the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Amadou Onana and Douglas Luiz will provide defensive cover and control. Morgan Rogers will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, looking to link the midfield to the attack.

Jadon Sancho and John McGinn will start on the flanks. They will look to create goal-scoring opportunities and add unpredictability in the final third.

Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa vs West Ham this weekend.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Luiz; McGinn, Rogers, Sancho; Watkins

West Ham United

Lukasz Fabianski will miss out due to a lower back injury, and Crysencio Summerville has a calf problem.

West Ham United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Aston Villa, with Mads Hermansen 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. Meanwhile, Konstantinos Mavropanos will start alongside Axel Disasi at the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Tomas Soucek will start alongside Soungoutou Magassa in the 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 goal-scoring chances for his teammates.

Jarrod Bowen and Adama Traore will add creativity, flair, and goals from the flanks. Taty Castellanos will lead the line for West Ham United vs Aston Villa on Sunday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Soucek, Magassa; Bowen, Fernandes, Traore; Castellanos

Key Stats

• Aston Villa are undefeated in their last 7 matches against West Ham in all competitions.
• 20 goals have been scored in the last 6 matches between the two teams.
• Aston Villa have picked up just 1 win from their last 6 Premier League matches.
• West Ham United have won 2 of their last 6 Premier League matches.

Player to Watch

Morgan Rogers

Embed from Getty Images

The Aston Villa playmaker is our key player to watch out for. They will need him to step up and produce in the final third if they want to grind out a victory here. He can help create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well. He has done quite well this season, and Aston Villa will depend on him to make a defining impact in the final third.

West Ham United will need to keep him quiet if they want to get a good result here. He has the technical attributes and vision to open up the defence and cause all sorts of problems for the London club.

Prediction

Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham United

Both teams will be desperate for a victory here for very different reasons, and this is likely to be a cracking contrast. Neither team is defensive in their approach, and they can be quite vulnerable at the back. This is likely to be an open game with plenty of chances. Both teams will get on the score sheet here, but Aston Villa have more quality, and they should be able to grind out all three points at home. A narrow win for the home team is on the cards.