West Ham United take on Aston Villa as they welcome them to London Stadium on Sunday, hoping to secure all three points from this contest. The Hammers will come into the match on the back of an excellent 2-0 victory over AEK Larnaca in the first leg of the Europa League round of sixteen, so we can expect them to perform better this weekend.
David Moyes would probably opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make a host of changes to the starting XI. Danny Ings could replace Michail Antonio to lead the charge against the opposition while Thomas Soucek returns to the central areas.
4-2-3-1 West Ham United Predicted XI Vs Aston Villa
Defence
Alphonso Areola will continue to function in goal for West Ham as he looks to secure another clean sheet going into this weekend’s contest. Nayef Aguerd will play alongside Angelo Ogbonna at the centre of Moyes’ defence as they try to keep things solid at the back during the game.
Ben Johnson could get a chance to impress as the right-back, while Emerson Royal hopes to give a good account of himself on the other flank as the left-back. Both of them could get the license to get forward and express themselves in the Larnaca half.
Thilo Kehrer and Kurt Zouma will offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.
Midfield
Declan Rice and Thomas Soucek will anchor the midfield for the Hammers as they focus on dominating the battle at the centre of the park. They would both have to move the ball well and engineer some decent opportunities for their teammates in the final third.
The talented trio of Said Benrahma, Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen will operate just ahead of them as part of West Ham’s attack. Both Benrahma and Bowen have to find a way to get in behind the opponent’s backline so that they can create enough chances for the visitors to win this contest.
Manuel Lanzini and Pablo Fornals will be available for selection on the bench as they wait for their chance to shine in the second half if required.
Attack
Danny Ings could get a chance to spearhead Moyes’ attack up top. He would be desperate to get his name on the scoresheet and make a difference for the Hammers in the final third.
Michail Antonio is currently recovering from a knock but could be available for a spot on the bench and might come on to influence the game in the latter stages if West Ham are in need of a goal by then.
