West Ham United and Aston Villa clash in a blockbuster fixture at the London Stadium this weekend to kick off their Premier League campaigns.
Julen Lopetegui has replaced the legendary David Moyes as West Ham manager and will be eager to deploy his new charges for the first time after their summer rebuild.
West Ham were one of the busiest sides in the transfer window, recruiting Niclas Fullkrug, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Guido Rodriguez, Wes Foderingham, Luis Guilherme, Crysencio Summerville, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The top priority for the club was securing a new centre-half pairing to reinforce a rearguard that conceded an abysmal 74 goals last term.
Kilman and Todibo were signed and could form a long-term partnership at the back that provides the platform for the rest of the team to shine.
However, the new signings may take time to hit the ground running.
The Irons have struggled during pre-season, failing to win any of their last three fixtures in normal time. The losses to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace are warning signs.
Nevertheless, a winning start against last season’s fourth-placed finishers, Aston Villa, would be a dream debut for the Spanish manager, dispelling any lingering doubts.
Meanwhile, Unai Emery’s Villa side are brimming with confidence after a summer of ambitious recruitment.
They have signed Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen, Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene, Samuel Iling-Junior, Lewis Dobbin, Enzo Barrenechea and Ross Barkley.
The Villains are determined to build on their Champions League qualification and want to make an early statement of intent with a win over the east London outfit.
Last term, Villa had the upper hand when they met in October, hammering their opponents 4-1 in a brilliant attacking display as Leon Bailey, Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz ran riot at Villa Park.
Their second leg clash in March was more subdued, with Nicolo Zaniolo of Villa cancelling a first-half Michail Antonio strike.
Despite Villa’s win last season, West Ham usually dominate this tie, claiming victories in five of the eight fixtures before the 4-1 loss (D3). That 4-1 win was Villa’s only victory over West Ham since May 2015.
With both teams undergoing significant changes, this opening weekend encounter should be a fascinating match-up.
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Manager match-ups
Lopetegui and Emery are renowned for their possession-based styles, yet their tactical approaches diverge significantly.
Lopetegui loves to suffocate his opponents with possession rather than generating relentless waves of attack.
The 57-year-old has mastered the art of playing risk-free possession football.
His teams are well-drilled at keeping the ball and use it as a defensive mechanism to avoid being pelted by opponents.
Lopetegui also coaches watertight defences, which will bode well for West Ham, considering their dire defensive displays last term.
His 2019/20 Sevilla team kept 17 clean sheets in 38 league games, conceding less than a goal per game. Only Atletico Madrid (27) allowed fewer goals than the Andalusians (34) that season.
From the start of 2019/20 until the end of 2021/22, Sevilla recorded 73 clean sheets in 160 games across all competitions.
They registered shut-outs in 45.6% of their matches, second only to Manchester City (46.1%) in Europe’s top five leagues.
However, Lopetegui may not find it so easy to control proceedings against Emery and Villa.
When the former Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain manager replaced Steven Gerrard, the first thing he brought was control.
His side is intricate with the ball and patient in their build-up, recording around 452 passes per game.
This composure has led to their ruthlessness in the final third, arriving at their opponent’s goal with a cool head to dispatch their chances.
Emery sets his team up in an asymmetrical 1-4-2-2-2 formation with one central forward, one forward drifting to the right, two number-tens, and no player on the left wing.
The Basque-born manager loves to clog the centre to enable his side to counter-press effectively off the ball and play through the middle with the ball.
This clash of styles promises an intriguing tactical battle, with Lopetegui’s defensive acumen pitted against Emery’s attacking intent.
Team news & potential line-ups
Despite the plethora of new arrivals, West Ham may need to time bedding their new stars.
Summerville, Fullkrug, and Todibo may have to settle for places on the bench as they build their fitness levels.
The availability of Lucas Paqueta is a massive boost to their cause. The Brazilian is still under investigation for spot-fixing but remains available for selection.
However, they will be missing midfield lynchpin Edson Alvarez, who suffered a hamstring injury at the 2024 Copa America.
He has not featured in the pre-season fixtures and is doubtful for the season opener.
The Mexican defensive midfielder was one of the shining lights in an otherwise dour campaign for the Irons, and fans are eagerly awaiting his return to strengthen the centre.
Similarly, Villa will begin their campaign without influential defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara.
The Frenchman has been out for several months, and the Villains have plugged the hole with Belgian powerhouse Onana, who arrived from Everton for around £50 million.
Captain Tyrone Mings is also in the treatment room after suffering an ACL injury on the opening day of last season, which prematurely ended his campaign and prevented him from joining England at the 2024 European Championship.
The Englishman will hope to bounce back from the setback and return to action soon, although Pau Torres has stepped up in his absence, forming a terrific partnership with Ezri Konsa.
After battling with fitness issues, Watkins will likely be absent for the season opener.
The Englishman has not featured in pre-season after returning late from Euro 2024 and needs time to get up to speed.
His likely absence for the opener is a massive miss for the Villains following his 2023/24 exploits.
The 28-year-old registered 27 goals and 13 assists across all competitions to spearhead their remarkable campaign.
West Ham potential starting XI
(4-2-3-1): Alphonse Areola; Vladimir Coufal, Max Kilman, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Emerson Palmieri; Tomas Soucek, Guido Rodriguez; Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta; Michail Antonio.
Aston Villa potential starting XI
(4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne; Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana; Leon Bailey, John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey; Morgan Rogers.
Prediction: West Ham 1-1 Aston Villa
West Ham and Aston Villa have undergone significant squad overhauls, and integrating new signings takes time.
Given the defensive improvements at West Ham and Villa’s attacking firepower, a low-scoring draw seems the most likely outcome.
In this early-season encounter, both managers will likely prioritise solidity and organisation over rampant attacking play.
