A captivating clash of the Clarets should be in store during Sunday’s solitary Premier League fixture, as Aston Villa welcome West Ham United to the West Midlands. Both sides gleaned a single point from their pre-international break fixtures, as Unai Emery’s side drew 1-1 with neighbours Wolverhampton Wanderers, while David Moyes’s team shared the spoils in a four-goal thriller with Newcastle United.
Aston Villa were one of three clubs to be caught up in the alarming Italian football betting scandal, as Nicolo Zaniolo pulled out of the Azzurri squad amid allegations of illegal gambling, but as things stand, the playmaker will be available for Sunday’s game; the club is yet to publicly address the matter. There has been little movement in the Aston Villa infirmary during the two-week break, with long-term knee victims Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings still on the long road to recovery, while there is no timeframe on Jacob Ramsey’s recuperation from an ankle issue.
Left-back Alex Moreno (thigh) was closing in on a return to action before suffering a setback in his recovery, and Emery confirmed on Friday that the former Real Betis man would not be back in the fray just yet. Emiliano Martinez, Jhon Duran and Leon Bailey all turned out for their countries across the Atlantic during the international period, but there is nothing to suggest that the trio will not be involved here.
Similarly, West Ham boss Moyes must assess the conditions of Mexico’s Edson Alvarez and Jamaica’s Michail Antonio following their arduous journeys home, but the duo should participate in Sunday’s game barring any unforeseen fitness setbacks. No long-term injury concerns are bedevilling the Hammers at present, but Lukasz Fabianski was not in the squad against Newcastle due to a knock, while full-backs Ben Johnson (groin) and Aaron Cresswell (hamstring) remain doubtful too.
Kudus’s crucial contribution against Newcastle may give Moyes food for thought up front, especially with Lucas Paqueta one booking away from a ban, but the latter did not turn out for Brazil this month and may therefore be preferred from the first whistle.
West Ham’s phenomenal stretch of recent results against Villa will serve them well in the West Midlands, while an unwelcome off-field distraction relating to Zaniolo’s alleged misdemeanours could also impact the hosts’ preparation for this one. However, Emery’s men have put almost every foe to the sword on Villa Park turf in recent months, and while they may have to survive a couple of scares against Moyes’s goal-happy attackers, we still expect the Lions to maintain their golden streak at home and end their visitors’ unbeaten run.
