Premier League 
The London Stadium sets the stage for an enticing Premier League showdown on Sunday afternoon as West Ham prepares to welcome Aston Villa. The match is scheduled to kick off at 14:00.
The hosts currently find themselves in 7th position in the Premier League after they have gained 43 points from their 28 league games this season. The Hammers come into this weekend on the back of a good run of form which has seen them go three league games without defeat.
West Ham followed up convincing wins over Everton and Brentford with a disappointing draw against Burnley last time out. However the West Ham faithfull will be impressed with the attacking style of play, with the Hammers having scored 15 goals in their last five games.
Following a remarkable campaign so far, Villa are occupying the 4th position in the Premier League table. They currently have a two point buffer between themselves and Spurs behind them however they have played one more game.
Villa also come into this game in a rich vein of form, having won three of their last four league outings. However, they were defeated 4-0 by Spurs last time out, a result that leaves a place in the Champions League hanging in the balance.
Both West Ham and Villa secured remarkable victories in European competitions on Thursday night. David Moyes’ squad exhibited a dazzling performance, dominating Freiburg, while the Seagulls triumphed over Ajax with a resounding 4-0 win. Whether the brief rest period between matches will impact their energy levels remains to be seen.
This fixture has a long and storied history, with the two sides having first met in the FA Cup in 1913. In total, the two sides have faced each other on 119 occasions, with West Ham having a better head-to-head record having won 45 matches, whilst Villa have won 39.
In recent years, it has been West Ham who have dominated this fixture as they have only been defeated on one occasion in the last eight meetings between the two sides. However it was Villa who recorded a comfortable victory when the two sides met earlier on in the campaign.
Douglas Luiz, the Brazilian midfielder, orchestrated the win with two goals, one a penalty. Jarrod Bowen pulled a goal back for the Hammers with a deflected effort, but second-half strikes from Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey sealed the win for Villa.
These sides are evenly matched at the bookies ahead of this match, however it is Aston Villa who are narrowly favoured and are currently priced @ 6/4, whilst a home win for West Ham is priced @ 13/8 and a draw is @ 13/5.
We're backing both teams to score and backing West Ham for the win due to their formidable home record against Villa. In the last eight home games against Villa, West Ham has remained undefeated, clinching victory in four matches and drawing in the remaining four.
Also, we anticipate both teams to find the net given the history of high-scoring encounters between them. In seven out of the last eight meetings, both teams have managed to score.