BUILD UP
Aston Villa face David Moyes’ 6th place West Ham United in the next round of the Premier League, three days after their magnificent away win over Leeds United.
A first-half deflected strike from Philippe Coutinho, and two second-half stunners from Matty Cash and Calum Chambers were enough to see off Jesse Marsch’s side, and the Villans climb into the top half of the table with the three points earned.
This victory made it three wins from three for Steven Gerrard and his team, with wins over Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton in recent weeks too. There have been 9 goals scored and an impressive 0 conceded over the course of these three games, and with that, there is a real buzz around the club, a genuine sense of excitement and clear signs of progression around Villa Park at the moment.
This week’s opponents are West Ham; a team currently competing in the quarter-finals of this year’s Europa League after their superb 6th place finish in the 20/21 campaign. David Moyes’ men have been just as impressive this season, and find themselves in 6th place on 45 points, but currently find themselves a goal down to Spanish side Sevilla in their European tie.
West Ham have struggled recently and with that recent loss in Spain, find themselves on a three game losing streak, with defeats at the hands of Liverpool in the Premier League and Southampton at St Mary’s in the FA Cup. As a result, David Moyes will be looking for redemption from his side going into Sunday’s game at the London Stadium.
The last time Aston Villa and West Ham United met happened to be Dean Smith’s penultimate game in charge, and ended 4-1 to the Hammers. Goals from Ben Johnson, Declan Rice, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen cancelled out Ollie Watkins’ equaliser. Ezri Konsa also received a red card for a challenge on Bowen who found himself through on goal, on what was a dismal day at Villa Park back in late October.
Since then, things have certainly looked up for the claret and blue side, and despite occasional disappointments and underwhelming performances, Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa side looks very promising and carries a wealth of potential that, after the last three games especially, has many Villa fans excited for what is to come.
Can Steven Gerrard inspire his side to a fourth consecutive victory, or will West Ham stop them in their tracks and put three points on the board to continue their mission for a top-four finish?
TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa are expected to travel to the capital on Sunday with an injury-free squad, bar Marvelous Nakamba, after seeing the recent victory at Elland Road through with no known concerns or problems.
In what is typically a feisty affair between both Villa and Leeds, the away side were able to come away unscathed, despite the 17 fouls committed by the Whites. There were 8 yellow cards dished out across the 90 minutes, but Steven Gerrard’s men live to fight another match-day off the back of their dominant display.
As mentioned, Marvelous Nakamba will miss the tie, with the midfielder continuing his treatment on the back of a long-term knee injury that won’t see him back for another month or so. The Zimbabwean was arguably the best performer in the side after Gerrard’s arrival, but his injury sustained at Liverpool put a stop to his form, and has somewhat limited the defensive and ball-recovery aspect of Villa’s midfield since.
Bar any freak injuries that may occur in training or any tactical tweaks that Gerrard chooses to make in the days leading up to the game, Aston Villa’s starting line-up is expected to remain the same that started against Leeds, with key name Ezri Konsa remaining on the bench after Calum Chambers’ excellent form at the back for the Villans.
With that being said, let’s take a look at the West Ham team news heading into this one.
Star man and West Ham’s player of the season Jarrod Bowen is set to miss Sunday’s game after picking up an Achilles injury in their recent trip to Anfield at the start of the month. Bowen, who has 8 goals and 8 assists to his name this season, was taken off in the 53rd minute and missed the mid-week fixture in Sevilla. The 25 year-old is not expected to miss the remainder of the season, but boss David Moyes threats the extent of the injury, that at first didn’t seem too severe, saying: “I have no idea at the moment, we’re still trying to clear up exactly the injury”.
Elsehwere David Moyes will be without both Vladimír Coufal and Angelo Ogbonna, with the pair undergoing surgery for their respective injuries.
Right-back Coufal has frequently struggled with groin problems, and following consultation with specialists, the Czech international made the tough decision to undergo surgery on his upper leg. West Ham’s official website announced the following: “Vladimír’s surgery went exactly as planned and he will begin his rehabilitation at Rush Green immediately.”
Whereas, centre-back Ogbonna has been sidelined since November after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in his side’s giant-killing of Liverpool, that saw the Italian taken off and replaced by veteran Craig Dawson after just 21 minutes. The 33 year-old revealed that his surgery “went well” as he begins his to recovery for the start of next season.
Winger Andriy Yarmolenko currently faces time away from the club and football in general, to focus on his personal matter surrounding the crisis and events happening in his home nation of Ukraine.
Aside from this, David Moyes will have free reign over his star-studded squad, with key players such as Declan Rice, Tomáš Souček and Michail Antonio all available and expected to start at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Let’s take a closer look at the Hammer’s general style of play and delve into David Moyes’ masterminded system…
THE OPPOSITION
David Moyes is renowned for establishing his side’s immaculate ‘out of possession’ unit and shape, and this component is a factor that has made his second spell in East-London a successful one. The Hammers are always hard to break down, with Moyes instructing his whole team to work hard and retreat when dispossessed, giving the opposition very little time to think, get in behind and mount a counter-attack.
Pablo Fornals has been somewhat of a unsung hero in the league over the years, and the Spaniard’s work-rate both on and off the ball is seriously underappreciated among opposition fans. Of course, the plaudits surrounding the ability of fellow midfielders Declan Rice and Tomáš Souček is deserved too, with the pair forming an established partnership that benefits the side greatly, both when attacking and when defending too.
Each year Declan Rice is linked with a 9-figure move away from the London Stadium, and this reported value is justified through his weekly, high-quality performances that has not only made him a starter for the England national team, but the on-field captain for West Ham United too. The side is built around the No. 41, and David Moyes’ knows just how lucky he is to have such a player orchestrating play from the middle of the park.
Michail Antonio is another Iron that has impressed this season and, despite struggling for contributions in recent weeks, has an impressive 8 goals and 8 assists to his name – numbers that any Premier League forward would be proud of. The No.9 is a menace to defend due to his physical abilities, namely his pace and strength, that helps to outwit defenders and get himself in the positions that has led to the many goals the Jamaican has scored over the years.
Moyes’ side enjoys building up play using the two full-backs, Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson, and the two midfielders, Declan Rice and Tomáš Souček, before offloading the ball to the more technical and creative individuals, such as Saïd Benrahma, Manuel Lanzini and Jarrod Bowen, who work their magic and create chances for their supporting teammates in and around the box.
West Ham are a side that do not typically dictate play, and are often the team that has less possession of the ball, but their ability to counter-attack and punish opposition teams on the break with the speed and trickery of their forward-line is something to be admired, and is certainly something Steven Gerrard and his analysis staff will be wary about and will drill into his players, especially given the overlapping and offensive tendencies of both Lucas Digne and Matty Cash.
David Moyes will have to appreciate and respect some of Aston Villa’s key threats too however, as the West-Midlands side have proven in the last few games that they too are capable of tearing sides apart and hurting them through well thought-out and focused play.
As two good footballing sides meet on Sunday, let’s take a look at my personal thoughts on the big game…
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is probably Villa’s toughest opponent on paper since Manchester United in January, and David Moyes and his side will certainly be a test for Steven Gerrard and Co.
Despite their three losses in a row, West Ham offer plenty of attacking threat, with the likes of Michail Antonio and his incredible pace and power, and the bamboozling trickery of former Villa target Saïd Benrahma. This, partnered with a solid midfield and defense, is what makes the East-London side so formidable, and is the reason why they have been so successful over the last couple of seasons.
With that being said, I believe the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Emiliano Buendía are perfect and incredibly well-suited for this type of game, and can definitely be the difference-makers in attack to break through the Hammer’s defensive unit with their ability to find a pass and break the lines.
Jarrod Bowen’s absence is a big plus for Steven Gerrard, with the winger knocking on Gareth Southgate’s door for a possible England call-up, after incredible club form in recent months. The performances from Villa of late will also encourage the Head Coach, and his side are surely heading into this one full of confidence and prepared to earn another big three points.
I wasn’t too far off with the previous prediction, and after careful consideration I believe this one will end as a draw. I think Bowen’s absence is a significant one, and the Hammers certainly look worse without the talented winger. I also feel Villa’s confidence going into this one will have a positive impact on their play, but with West Ham being at home and showing a lot of character over the years, I feel they won’t be beaten.
Let’s go with a 2-2, with Ollie Watkins and John McGinn to bag the visitor’s goals, and Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio to claim the two strikes for the home side. Come on the boys, and Up the Villa!
Liam
LIAM DAVIES | UTV PODCAST
Author’s UTV PODCAST archive liamayrtondavies – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
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