Premier League Matchday 26: West Ham vs. Aston Villa

Start Time: 9:00 a.m. CST on March 12, 2023

Location: London Stadium, England

FanDuel Betting Odds: West Ham +125; Draw +230; Aston Villa +230

West Ham (18th in the Premier League); Manager: David Moyes

Recent Results: 2-0 win vs. AEK Larnaca (Europa Conference League); 0-4 loss vs. Brighton (Premier League); 1-3 loss vs. Manchester United (FA Cup).

Aston Villa (11th in the Premier League); Manager: Unai Emery

Recent Results: 1-0 win vs. Crystal Palace (Premier League); 2-0 win vs. Everton (Premier League); 2-4 loss vs. Arsenal (Premier League).

FotMob Projected Lineups:

After a successful night in Cyprus, West Ham return to the Premier League as they'll welcome Unai Emery's Aston Villa to the London Stadium on Sunday. With today's results, the Hammers officially are in the relegation zone.

Despite a 2-0 win in the Europa Conference League, West Ham still need to answer many questions about their Premier League status heading forward. Last weekend at the AMEX, the Hammers put forth one of the worst performances in club history, as Brighton blanked us 4-0.

Now back at the London Stadium, several players in this team have something to prove. Cornet, Scamacca and Zouma are officially back from injury, which puts this West Ham squad nearly at full strength.

Unai Emery has helped Aston Villa climb out of a relegation scare. The Spaniard has his club firmly in the mid-table, only six points from coveted safety.

For the Villians, a player to watch out for tomorrow is their in-form striker Olie Watkins. The Englishman has found the back of the net in five of the last six Premier League matches.

If West Ham wants to stay in the Premier League, they'll need to start picking up points soon. I'd give the Hammers' squad a slight edge on paper, as I think we win the midfield battle with Rice, Soucek and Paqueta.

Both sides have been shaky defensively at point this season, and there will definitely be goals. Fingers crossed when it's all said and done that West Ham will end up with all three points (at this point, why not be optimistic?).

Premier League Matchday 26 Prediction: West Ham 2 Aston Villa 1

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