Aiming to win their second game this week is Aston Villa who take on West Ham United at Villa Park. Let’s take an in-depth look at the upcoming fixture in this week’s match preview.
THE BUILD UP
Last time out in the Premier League, Aston Villa suffered defeat away to Crystal Palace. Despite scoring first after just five minutes via Ollie Watkins’ finish, The Eagles proceeded to mount a devastating comeback. Inspired by the brilliance of Wilfried Zaha, Palace came away as 3-1 victors thanks to a brace from their Ivorian talisman and a Jean-Philippe Mateta strike.
Since then, The Villans were tasked with beating League One’s Bolton Wanderers in the second round of the Carabao Cup. Things appeared to be going from bad to worse for Steven Gerrard’s side as The Trotters opened the scoring through Dion Charles in the first-half. Midfielder Douglas Luiz levelled things just 10 minutes later though, after magnificently curling it in directly from a corner.
From here the Premier League side were able to cruise through the tie, and goals from Danny Ings, Lucas Digne and Leon Bailey settled matters. Villa now travel to Old Trafford to play Manchester United in the third round; a fixture that’ll take place near the beginning of November.
This week’s opposition meanwhile find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table, and have failed to score a goal so far this term. West Ham have seemingly struggled after three games, but still boast significant quality within their ranks that will certainly provide for a tough contest this Sunday.
Both sides have struggled in the league, and both David Moyes and Steven Gerrard will be looking for reactions from their sides this weekend. Can Villa preserve their 100% win record at home, or will The Irons secure the success?
A BIT ON WEST HAM
Despite poor results this campaign, West Ham haven’t performed particularly poorly. An opening day defeat to the beast that is Manchester City will not worry David Moyes, and the showing against Nottingham Forest that followed was hardly troublesome. The Hammers dominated the fixture at the City Ground and on another day could have scored 3 or 4.
The only truly disappointing 90 minutes thus far comes from the 2-0 defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend. The Hammers have never beaten The Seagulls in the Premier League, and their ‘bogey’ side got the better of them once again – goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Trossard trumped Moyes’ side on the day.
The real worry for West Ham at the moment is their lack of goals. The Irons are the only side in English football yet to score a goal in the league, and they will be eagerly looking to get off the mark on Sunday.
Away from domestic football, Moyes’ side have been in action in Europe. The East-London side have recently played a two-legged tie with Danish side Viborg FF, with the victors gaining access to the UEFA Europa Conference League. West Ham emerged as clear winners, beating their opponents 6-1 on aggregate.
The club have invested heavily in players this summer, spending an approximate £120 million over the weeks and months. The Hammers have been heavily linked with talented Olympique Lyon midfielder Lucas Paquetá this week. The Brazilian international would substantially improve the claret and blue side, and if the deal is wrapped up quickly, he could be in contention to face Aston Villa this weekend.
David Moyes has done a terrific job during his second spell at the club, but with three consecutive losses, pressure naturally begins to mount. The gritty manager will want nothing more than a win from Sunday’s fixture, and will demand everything and more from his set of players.
TO FINISH
The upcoming game is perfectly poised and either side will hope to build from their midweek success. Both Villa and West Ham will be looking to get their seasons back on track after difficult starts, and will use Sunday’s fixture to build confidence and kick-start form.
Both squads are blessed with high-value, talented footballers, but it is up to both Steven Gerrard and David Moyes to make it work. The major issue with Aston Villa over the last few seasons is inconsistency. There have been too many spells of playing exceptionally, followed by abysmal performances. This factor has ultimately prevented the side from progressing and generally working their way up the league.
There has and will continue to be plenty of discussions as to why this is the case, but one thing that everyone can agree on, is that it has to change… and soon. There has been far too much investment around Aston Villa FC, and with future plans to further evolve the club, the results on the pitch have to improve and partner the hard work off it.
The short-term focus lies at Villa Park this Sunday however, and a big three points against a side playing in Europe would definitely boost morale and atmosphere among fans. Steven Gerrard will be looking to achieve exactly that, whilst David Moyes targets a first win and an improved position by the end of the game week.
TEAM NEWS
AUTHOR | LIAM DAVIES
Author’s UTV PODCAST archive liamayrtondavies – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
UTV PODCAST HQ
SUBSCRIBE
Enjoying this article – then please subscribe to UTVPODCAST | An Aston Villa Blog to help us grow and support the site; you’ll receive instant email notifications of all released article.
Plus, it’s completely free.
VILLA BELLAS
Villa Bellas is the Official AVFC Women’s Network. In an unequal and often unrelenting world we work to break down barriers for equality.
Our network aims to raise the voice of women and non-binary people at @AVFCOfficial We support inclusion & diversity and with our allies, we can challenge sexism and misogyny, creating a safe and welcoming environment for the fans in the stands and the women on the pitch.
Let’s celebrate ourselves and champion each other while having fun doing it!
Twitter: @villabellas Instagram: @villa.bellas
DONATE
UTVPODCAST | An Aston Villa Blog— is accepting small donations, which will help to support the site’s ongoing evolution.
Thank you so much for your support.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook and Twitter readers, click the respective icon below to follow our utvpodcast social media accounts.
UTVPODCAST is pleased to partner with Official AVFC Store, Fanatics, Kitbag, and Classic Football Shirts. Throughout the season, we will bring you special offers and discount codes.
ASTON VILLA | AVFC STORE
2022/23 Aston Villa Home Shirt – Shop Now
ASTON VILLA | CLASSIC FOOTBALL SHIRTS
