Premier League: Will the Hammers Continue to Exceed Expectations?

Aston Villa vs West Ham United

West Ham United plan to shrug off their last Premier League defeat against Liverpool when they visit Villa Park to face Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

The Hammers saw their four-game winning streak snapped by the defending champions and they will be eager to bounce back against the Villans, who have been inconsistent in their form for this past month.

Prior to last week’s loss, West Ham United have emerged as a nice surprise package as they have exceeded expectations in the 2020/21 season.

Normally placed around the top seven to top 10, David Moyes’ side moved up to the fifth spot with 35 points, which is two points over bigger clubs in Tottenham, Chelsea, and Everton.

As for Aston Villa, they were once on top of the table after their hot start this term. However, they had a rough patch and now they’ve fallen to the ninth spot with 32 points.

Dean Smith’s side will surely remember what happened when they locked horns against their visitors last December, but the question is whether they are capable of avenging their loss.

The SBOTOP betting odds point to a fun, close encounter ahead, so read on below as we present to you this match preview.

 

Talking Points

Is an European qualification within reach for Aston Villa?

The Villans may have fallen off of the top five but there is still enough time for them to make a run at it.

However, if they are going to do so, Aston Villa need to fix their act quickly to gather more favourable Premier League 2021 results and points.

Dean Smith is a renowned tactician and he has the credentials to instill a winning mentality to his men that are capable of outplaying their counterparts.

Jack Grealish, Ross Barkley, and Ollie Watkins have accounted for 20 goals and 12 assists so far, while the wing combination of Anwar El Ghazi and Bertrand Traore have already punched in 11 goals and two assists.

Last weekend, they were winners against Southampton in what was a tight affair.

Ross Barkley was the star of the night as he scored his first goal since returning from a hamstring injury which he suffered in late November.

Moreover, Smith believes that Barkley’s best is yet to come as he is still working towards reaching peak fitness levels.

Indeed, he will be a key part of a Villa team that is vying for an European qualification at the end of the season.

 

West Ham to prove they are no fluke

Despite a roller coaster campaign, West Ham United remain as one of the best clubs in the 2020/21 season.

The Hammers are on a roll with four wins out of their last five, and their superb form has carried them over to the fifth place in the standings.

Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice have been integral cogs for David Moyes as their guile and control make them one of the best midfield pairings in the league.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Haller, Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio, and Pablo Fornals add toughness and firepower to their attacking front.

They’ve also added longtime Manchester United man Jesse Lingard via loan during the transfer window and his high work rate and pace would surely come in handy.

However, for them to seal their European qualification, the Hammers need to have more consistency at the backline as Crystal Palace and Liverpool exposed their shortcomings from that end in their last few fixtures.

 

History

The Hammers and the Villans have played for a total of 113 games prior to this upcoming contest.

West Ham United have the edge in the overall head-to-heads with 41 wins, while Aston Villa have won 34 times along with 38 draws.

The previous meeting between the two sides ended in a 2-1 victory for West Ham United last December 1.

Angelo Ogbonna and Jack Grealish exchanged goals in the first half. However, an early second half score by Jarrod Bowen propelled the Hammers to a victory.

 

 

Betting Tip

	Aston Villa vs West Ham United	1X2 Draw @ 3.35
	February 04, 04:15 (GMT+8)

The Premier League 2021 odds point to a close victory for Aston Villa since they are slightly favoured in the 1X2 market.

Aston Villa are priced at 2.23, while West Ham United are pegged at 3.10. But for this game, I am expecting for these two clubs to share the spoils at 3.35.

While West Ham United have the better overall record against Aston Villa, the home side can somehow even things up since they’ve built a fairly strong squad this season.

On paper, both are evenly matched and we can expect a low-scoring affair this Wednesday.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
= €20 (Highly confident)	= €10 (CONFIDENT)	= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

 

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