1 West Ham United vs 2 Aston Villa
West Ham boss, Lopetegui wary of Aston Villa ahead of season opener.
As West Ham welcomes Aston Villa to the London Stadium this Saturday at 17:30 GMT+1, new Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui aims to start his tenure with a win against a rapidly improving Villa side.
West Ham United
New boss Julen Lopetegui will be making his competitive debut for the Hammers this weekend when they face Aston Villa at the London Stadium. After a 9th-place finish last season, David Moyes did not earn a contract renewal.
Summer transfer activities indicate West Ham might be eyeing up some form of silverware before the end of the new season. The Hammers secured the signatures of centre-back Max Kilman from Wolves for €47 million and Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Manchester United for €17.6 million.
Niclas Füllkrug also joined West Ham after Dortmund accepted a deal for €27 million. Despite these additions, a not-so-impressive pre-season tour left more questions than answers, with West Ham winning only once in regular time despite playing five club friendlies.
However, they will be counting on their impressive record to serve as a source of inspiration against Aston Villa on Saturday. "Aston Villa were one of the best teams in the Premier League last season, and they’re a UEFA Champions League team now. I think they have improved even more over the summer, so we have to be ready for a big challenge," Lopetegui said ahead of Saturday’s clash.
While West Ham have lost just one of their last 12 games against the visitors (6W, 5D, 1L), they have picked up only one win in the last eight opening games (1W, 1D, 6L). A 4-2-3-1 formation with new arrival Füllkrug, who had an impressive outing at the just concluded Euro 2024, in attack is expected.
Edson Álvarez is the only confirmed absentee for the Hammers.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa have bolstered their squad with £129.5 million worth of additions. Samuel Iling-Junior joined from Juventus for €14 million, while Amadou Onana arrived from Everton for €59.35 million. Ian Maatsen also made the switch from Chelsea for €45 million.
While Villa will be looking for immediate impact from their new signings, mixed fortunes during the pre-season tour could leave some doubts. Furthermore, Unai Emery's side is on a nine-game winless away run against West Ham, with 0 wins, 5 draws, and 4 losses.
Additionally, Villa are on a three-game opening day losing streak, conceding 10 goals in these matches. Nevertheless, Unai will be keen to start off on a fine note as Villa hopes to replicate last season’s fairy-tale run, which earned them European football qualification.
A 4—2—3—1 formation with Ollie Watkins in attack is expected. Watkins was the joint-fourth highest goal scorer in the Premier League last season, netting 19 times. Long-term absentees Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings remain unavailable.
Team form
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Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.