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Aston Villa v West Ham
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Date: Sunday 22nd October 2023
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Competition: Premier League
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Kick off: 16:30
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Watch live: Sky Sports Main Event
Aston Villa and West Ham are determined to maintain their promising starts in the Premier League. A victory for either side in this fixture has the potential to significantly alter the top half of the table. Unai Emery’s squad currently sits in fifth place, just four points behind the league leaders, while the Hammers are closely trailing in seventh, with only a two-point difference.
The hosts go into this fixture with five wins from eight and are notably unbeaten in their last four league fixtures. Boasting some impressive results like a 6-1 victory over Brighton and a 3-1 victory against Crystal Palace, both at Villa Park. Only Brighton and Newcastle have scored more goals this year than Aston Villa, netting an impressive total of 17 goals in 8 games.
West Ham are rediscovering their form in domestic football after a challenging season last year, combined with a taste of European success by securing the Europa Conference League title. With their only league losses against heavyweights Liverpool and Manchester City, the Hammers will be optimistic for a result here.
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Aston Villa v West Ham Cheat Sheet
The Aston Villa v West Ham Cheat Sheet is an amazing tool for crafting bet builders crammed with value. What is a cheat sheet you ask?
Cheat Sheets are a collection of all the statistics you need for your bet builder selections. They break down key statistics for both sides, such as how many corners a team takes and concedes, how many shots they get away, how many cards they pick up and everything in between. All the information you need to identify those high-value bet builder selections we love.
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Without further ado, let’s get stuck into the breakdown.
Unai Emery is truly at the Wheel
Unai Emery has been exquisite since joining Aston Villa last season and his impact on the club probably isn’t spoken about enough. Emery’s side have won their last ten home matches in the Premier League, conceding only four goals in that time – Villa Park doesn’t take kindly to their visitors. A serious force to be reckoned with at home and their form this season is a testament to that.
Facing a West Ham side who have been known to have leaks in the backline, the Villans’ prolific attack will be a difficult force to keep out. Villa have scored in all but three of their 33 league games since Unai Emery took charge, including scoring in all 16 home fixtures.
The international break gave some mixed success for those representing Villa. Ollie Watkins netted the winner in his start for England against Australia, with a clever run at the back post to slot the ball into a gaping net, a cool-headed finish. Whereas we saw Aston Villa loanee Nicolo Zaniolo sent home from the Italy camp for investigation for betting allegations. It will be interesting if Zaniolo is in the right headspace to face the Hammers this weekend.
Back to their old ways in England
The Hammers have made a strong start to the year and currently sit in seventh place with 14 points. Unbeaten in four matches after a rather unlucky 2-2 draw to Newcastle a few weeks ago, despite scoring an 89th-minute equaliser. Newcastle were lucky to avoid a sending off and a last-minute chance saw Said Benrahma at the back post only centimetres away from poking home the winner – one of those games for David Moyes’ side.
Nonetheless, gathering a point against a force like Newcastle is no easy feat. Mohammed Kudus opened his West Ham goal account in that fixture after only playing a total of 61 minutes in the Premier League. A huge moment for him and potentially the kickstart he needs to build on when more regular gametime starts coming his way.
David Moyes will however be slightly concerned over his side’s defensive performances so far this season. The Hammers have only managed to silence Sheffield United this year and have the fourth worst xGA tally in the league with 17.70 across their 8 games – only Luton, Bournemouth and Sheffield United are below them – something a team hoping for top 6 contention must address quickly.
🎯Aston Villa Offensive Stats: Matty putting his Cash where his mouth is
Aston Villa’s attacking prowess has been truly exciting to watch this year and they have shown real clinical ability. Their Premier League goal tally so far stands at 19, which actually exceeds their 15.36 xG which testifies to that composure upfront.
A standout player this year for Villa has been Moussa Diaby. Since his £35 million move to the West Midlands, he’s been racking up the goal involvements with 2 goals and 4 assists. Registering the second most shots at goal (18), after star man Ollie Watkins, a shots market bet on the Frenchman could be enticing.
However, not all of the attacking threat has come from their forwards this year. As fantasy football fanatics surely know by now, Matty Cash has been a stellar asset this season registering 2 goals and an assist. The full back averages 2.04 efforts at goal per match and boasts a 50% shot on target rate – not bad for a defender. A bet builder selection on him could prove a tasty odds booster.
🎯 West Ham Offensive Stats: The English duo inspiring the Hammers attack
Rather reflective of their place in the table, West Ham are 8th best for goals scored (15), only one goal behind unbeaten Arsenal and two from treble winners Manchester City. A pretty impressive start, especially considering this accounts for more than a third of their last season’s domestic goal tally. The man leading this charge is the main man, Jarrod Bowen.
With five goals already this season, he’s recapturing the immense form he displayed two years ago. After a well-deserved rest during England’s Euro qualifier against Italy last week, he’s primed to wreak havoc. Jarrod Bowen stands out with 23 goal attempts this year, double the count of his team-mate Tomas Soucek in second place, and an impressive 1.38 shots on target per 90 minutes. The Englishman presents a strong option in the shot markets as he aims to increase his goal tally.
Aston Villa are amassing an average of 2.75 yellow cards per game and showing a lack of discipline in their midfield battles. They often concede free-kicks in dangerous areas, opening opportunities for crosses into the box. This situation could play into James Ward-Prowse’s hands, allowing him to showcase his crossing and long-distance prowess.
🛑 Aston Villa Defensive Stats: You shall not pass… on the wings
Similar to their attacking stats, Aston Villa are slightly overperforming in the defensive department. Unai Emery’s team have conceded 12 goals this season, which is slightly better than their expected goals against (xGA) of 14.21.
In games involving Aston Villa, the both teams to score market has been a solid choice, hitting the mark in 62% of their matches, five out of eight games. This percentage is slightly higher than the Premier League average of 60.26%.
If you’re looking to explore player specific markets, Lucas Digne is loving getting stuck in on that left-hand side. Picking up 4 yellows already this season, the Frenchman is averaging 1.52 fouls per game, and coming up against the extremely confident and in-form Jarrod Bowen, there could definitely be the opportunity for a fifth.
🛑 West Ham Defensive Stats: Cards galore on Saturday?
Defending away from home remains a challenge for the Hammers. Last season, they conceded in 16 out of 19 away games, earning only 12 points on the road. It’s more noteworthy as they’ve already secured 7 away points this year.
Like their upcoming hosts, West Ham have a love for collecting yellow cards, with 21 bookings distributed among 10 players, averaging 2.63 cards per 90 minutes. This makes the card markets an attractive option, considering both teams’ records this year.
Key offenders for West Ham include Emerson Palmieri, Lucas Paqueta, and Edson Alvarez, each with four bookings. Paqueta and Alvarez, with their respective averages of 2.28 and 2.14 fouls per 90 minutes, stand out as the obvious candidates for trouble on Sunday. Facing players like John McGinn and Douglas Luiz, known equally for their combative styles, could lead to a midfield battle with lots of kicks, trips and collisions.
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