West Ham vs Aston Villa Prediction & Betting Tips - Premier League

Prediction published on 17/03/2024, 01:42  by Ian John in Premier League Predictions

West Ham face Aston Villa on Sunday in what should be a hard-fought contest at the London Stadium. The Hammers breezed through to the Europa League quarterfinals, winning 5-0 against SC Freiburg in midweek for a 5-1 aggregate win. Their league form has also been better of late with two wins and a draw in their last three games, although the 2-2 home draw with Burnley last weekend will feel like two points lost. One positive for West Ham has been the number of goals they have scored in the last five games, netting 14 across those games, conceding just 6 in reply. Their 4-1 loss to Aston Villa earlier this season was their first defeat to the Villains in 11 games, Villa winning 6 and the other four drawn. They have not lost at home to Villa since April 2011. The Hammers lie 7th in the Premier League table on 43 points.

Fourth-placed Aston Villa have collected 12 more points than their opponents and they are two points clear of Spurs in fifth, and eight behind Manchester City in third. Unai Emery's team were well beaten last weekend at home to Spurs, losing the game 4-0 but they bounced back in style in midweek in the Europa Conference League, defeating Dutch side Ajax 4-0 at Villa Park to qualify for the quarterfinals of that competition by the same scoreline on aggregate. Aside fromn the 0-0 draw away to Ajax in the first leg of that tie, all of Villa's past nine games have seen over 2.5 goals, and six of those games have seen both teams find the net. Striker Ollie Watkins is in good form having bagged six goals in his past six games for the Villains.