West Ham face Aston Villa on Sunday in their last game before the March international break.
The Premier League encounter at Villa Park will be yet another vital game for the Irons, who are looking to secure survival in the final few games of the season. However, it is also an important game for their opponents, whose top-four hopes are in real jeopardy.
After a shaky start, Unai Emery’s side have had another superb season in the top flight and are in the race for Champions League football once more. But in 2026, their standards have dropped.
Villa have won only two of their last ten games. During that run, they lost 2-0 to bottom side Wolves, drew with West Ham’s relegation rivals Leeds, and suffered a heavy 4-1 loss at home to Chelsea.
By contrast, Nuno Espírito Santo’s West Ham side have enjoyed a great run of form since January. In their last ten league games, they have beaten Fulham, Burnley, Sunderland and Spurs, as well as nicking points off both Manchester clubs.
The form of both sides makes for an interesting encounter on Sunday. On paper, this is one of the Irons’ toughest fixtures of the run-in, but Nuno’s side are full of confidence – unlike Villa, who are winless in their last four league outings.
Additionally, Sunday’s opponents must face Lille at Villa Park on Thursday in the second leg of their Europa League tie. The Villains currently lead the French side 1-0 on aggregate and will have to work hard to maintain their advantage.
In a similar vein to Manchester City, who were preparing for ties against Real Madrid prior to their match at the London Stadium last Saturday, Villa will have one eye on Europe and less time than usual to prepare for their clash with the Irons at the weekend.
Crysencio Summerville could return for Nuno’s side, which would be a huge boost. But after the excellent performance against Pep Guardiola’s side last Saturday, it would be harsh to drop anyone from the starting eleven. The Hammers’ 5-3-2 set-up helped to nullify the City threat, and the same could happen against Villa this weekend.
West Ham are full of confidence at the moment and should look to take points off Unai Emery’s side. Big results are needed if the Irons want to avoid the drop this season. They pulled off a huge result against the title-chasers last weekend—what’s to say they can’t do the same against European contenders next?