Aston Villa vs West Ham – News and Probable Lineups

Aston Villa faces the risk of dropping from the prized Champions League spots as they host West Ham United, who are fighting for survival, at Villa Park during the 31st round of Premier League matches on Sunday.

There’s a significant 14-place gap between the teams in the standings, but West Ham currently finds themselves in better form than their West Midlands counterparts, who might face their fourth consecutive league defeat under Unai Emery.

Match overview

Villa was once in the title conversation but has shifted to battling for a top-four finish, now involved in a tight contest with four other clubs vying for three Champions League positions.

Currently occupying the fourth position with 51 points, Emery’s squad trails Manchester United by three points in third and is two points ahead of Liverpool, three points above Chelsea, and six points ahead of Brentford, who sit in seventh.

However, their recent form is concerning: Villa has endured three straight defeats to Wolverhampton Wanderers (2-0), Chelsea (4-1), and Manchester United (3-1). If evaluated solely on the last five weeks, they would be positioned 17th in the standings.

The picture worsens further when extending the assessment to the last ten fixtures, where Villa ranks 18th, accumulating only nine points – one more than Burnley and six more than Tottenham Hotspur.

This highlights the severe downturn in form for the Villans since the start of the year, as they’ve scored just 10 goals during this period, the lowest in the league, especially troubling given they were joint-fifth highest scorers before the New Year with 30 goals.

While the Europa League has offered some relief recently, Emery risks becoming the first manager in his career to record four league losses in a row, a result that could see Villa lose their Champions League position.

Nuno Espirito Santo will aim to secure a victory for West Ham, who could escape the relegation zone this weekend if results go their way.

Currently placed 18th, West Ham shares 29 points with Tottenham Hotspur, who are just above the relegation zone on goal difference entering this round of fixtures.

West Ham’s resurgence in 2026 is highlighted by their joint-sixth position over the last ten matches, having amassed 15 points during this period, which is only eight fewer than Manchester United’s 23 points.

The 15 points collected during this stretch surpass the 14 achieved in the first 20 rounds of the season, emphasizing the team’s revival as they strive to maintain their 14-year presence in the Premier League.

This goal will be challenged by facing Aston Villa, whom they haven’t defeated in their last seven meetings across all competitions — six of which were in the Premier League — dating back to August 2022 when they last managed a 1-0 win, marking a fifth straight victory over the Villans.

With their previous dominance turning into a disappointing run, West Ham may be up against history, yet they will be keen to capitalize on Villa’s noticeable decline to secure a fourth consecutive league defeat for Emery.

Team News

Youri Tielemans (ankle) is returning to training and may undergo a late fitness assessment before his potential first appearance since January, whereas Boubacar Kamara (knee) remains sidelined.

No Aston Villa player has registered double-digit goals in the league, so they will rely on Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins — each with eight goals — to lead the attack on Sunday.

Notably, all of Rogers’ league strikes have either provided a lead or equalized the score, and the attacking midfielder — who has also recorded five assists — hopes to keep delivering critical goals for the West Midlands side.

Oliver Scarles has been cleared to play for West Ham, but Crysencio Summerville (calf) and Lukasz Fabianski (back) continue their recovery.

Despite not scoring since late January, Jarrod Bowen has played a vital role in West Ham’s recent results, contributing assists in three consecutive matches and in four of their last five games, bringing his total to 14 goal contributions this season.

If the England international assists another goal on Sunday, he will match Vladimir Coufal’s achievement from September-October 2023, when the Czech defender assisted against Manchester City, Liverpool, Sheffield United, and Newcastle United.

Although Callum Wilson is not anticipated to start this fixture, his record of netting four goals from 16 shots in away games makes him a potential key substitute for the Hammers.

Aston Villa probable starting XI:

Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Onana, Luiz; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins

West Ham United probable starting XI:

Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Soucek, Magassa; Bowen, Fernandes, Pablo; Castellanos

West Ham’s revival and Bowen’s creative capabilities could target Villa’s vulnerabilities at critical times.

Though Villa might end up averting defeat, the contest is expected to be a closely contested one, with Emery likely to avoid a fourth successive league loss for the first time in his career.