Aston Villa and West Ham United promises to be an intriguing encounter, particularly given the historical rivalry between the two teams. Aston Villa, having enjoyed a strong start to 2025, will look to capitalize on their home advantage at Villa Park. The potential lineup for Villa includes key players such as Martinez in goal and Watkins leading the attack . Conversely, West Ham is seeking retribution following a recent FA Cup defeat to the same opponents, which adds an additional layer of intensity to this fixture.
West Ham will need to be at their best to escape the Midlands without defeat, meaning significant improvements are needed from last weekend's limp loss at home to Crystal Palace. Injuries in the forward line have made for an unwanted challenge at the beginning of Potter's reign and he will be hopeful of winter reinforcements.
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Despite their uncharacteristically lethargic defeat to Monaco in the Champions League midweek, Villa have started the new year in impressive form. They won their first three fixtures of 2025 before producing a two-goal comeback at Arsenal last weekend to salvage a precious point.
Aston Villa possible starting lineup: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Malen, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins
West Ham United possible starting lineup: Fabianski; Coufal, Kilman, Cresswell; Wan-Bissaka, Alvarez, Soler, Emerson; Paqueta, Soucek; Kudus
Hammers are in a mixed run of form, and Graham Potter will have understood plenty about the team dynamics in their loss to Crystal Palace last weekend. However, they are well rested without any European or midweek action, although they might still be a bit short on quality compared to Villa.
Aston Villa have the quality to hurt the opposition’s defence, get a decent win in the bag, and march towards a top-four place.
In terms of injuries, both teams face challenges that could impact their performance. West Ham's forward line is under scrutiny due to injury concerns, while Aston Villa's Onana is doubtful due to a hamstring issue . Live streaming options are abundantly available through platforms like Sky Sports and fuboTV, allowing fans from various locations access to the match. As predictions suggest that Ollie Watkins may play a pivotal role in securing victory for Aston Villa, this match could be crucial in shaping both teams' seasons.
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