Overview
West Ham have just suffered two consecutive heavy defeats against Liverpool and Man City. Despite spending more than £100 million in the summer transfer window of 2024, The Hammers' performance has not improved, even worse than last season. They are currently ranked 14th in the Premier League and cannot focus on other arenas.
West Ham's obvious problem is their poor defense. Except for the three teams in the relegation group, Wolves, Leicester and Southampton, no team has conceded as many goals as West Ham. They have conceded 39 goals in 20 Premier League games this season. In addition, injuries to key players such as Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen have also left West Ham without the best personnel.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa's form is also quite unstable. In the last 5 matches, they only won 2, drew 1 and lost 2. Aston Villa's attack is still effective, but the defense is extremely vulnerable. They are the team that has conceded the most goals in the top 10 of the tournament so far (32 goals conceded).
However, home ground is still a big support for Aston Villa. Coach Unai Emery's team has only lost 2 home games this season, while winning 8 and drawing 5.
With both teams not being too keen on the FA Cup, it is likely that there will be a rotation plan from the coaches. With a better squad and home field advantage, Villa is certainly still rated higher.
Aston Villa have beaten West Ham this season, winning 2-1 at the London Stadium in the Premier League first leg. Emery's side can also be confident having beaten the Hammers 4-1 at home last season.
Human resources situation
Diego Carlos and Pau Torres join Villa's injury list, alongside John McGinn, while Jhon Duran will serve the final game of a three-match ban.
On the other side of the front line, West Ham will be without strikers Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio, while the possibility of Emerson and Jean-Clair Todibo playing is still open.
Expected lineup:
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen, Barkley, Onana, Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey, Watkins.
West Ham: Areola, Coufal, Mavropanos, Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Soucek, Alvarez, Kudus, Paqueta, Summerville, Fullkrug.
The match between Aston Villa and West Ham takes place at 3:00 a.m. on January 11 (Vietnam time).
