West Ham United vs Aston Villa – Match Preview and Team Update

West Ham United is set to host Aston Villa at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

West Ham is looking to move away from the relegation zone as they face one of the Premier League’s top teams. Under Nuno Espírito Santo, they have improved slightly, suffering only one loss in their last six matches, including notable draws against Manchester United and Brighton.

However, they face a significant challenge against Aston Villa, who are in excellent form. Unai Emery’s side arrives on an eight-game winning streak across all competitions and recently defeated Arsenal, placing them just three points from the top of the table. This will boost their confidence going into the match.

West Ham United vs Aston Villa – Match Preview and Team News

• Date: Sunday, 14 December 2025
• Kick-off: 14:00 GMT
• Venue: London Stadium, London
• Referee: Anthony Taylor
• VAR: James Bell
• Last Meeting: Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham, 26 January 2025, Premier League

Team News

West Ham United

Nuno Espírito Santo has confirmed that full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf are available for selection. This match is their last before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, providing a boost to a defense that has struggled to keep clean sheets. Youngster Ollie Scarles has returned to training, but is unlikely to start. Jarrod Bowen aims to be just the second player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements for the Hammers.

Aston Villa

Unai Emery is assessing the fitness of goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and defender Pau Torres, who missed the Europa League win over Basel. The manager will determine their availability before the trip. Tyrone Mings and Ross Barkley are sidelined with injuries. If Torres does not play, Ezri Konsa may shift to central defense. Ollie Watkins is set to make his 200th Premier League appearance.

Form

West Ham United

West Ham has garnered only 13 points from 15 games, marking their worst start to a season since 2017-18. While they are harder to beat under Nuno, they struggle to finish matches, having conceded five goals in the 90th minute this season. Only Leeds and Newcastle have a poorer record in this area, highlighting ongoing defensive issues.

Aston Villa

Villa is currently one of the most in-form teams in the league, winning nine of their last ten Premier League matches. They have accumulated the highest points total in the league since late September. Their attacking play has been sharp, with only Manchester City scoring more goals than them since matchday five. Additionally, they are unbeaten in their last six encounters with West Ham.

Predicted Lineups

West Ham United predicted XI: Areola; Mavropanos, Todibo, Kilman; Wan-Bissaka, Rodríguez, Paquetá, Diouf; Souček, Wilson, Bowen

Aston Villa predicted XI: Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Onana; Buendía, Tielemans, McGinn; Watkins

How to watch West Ham United vs Aston Villa?

The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, starting at 13:00 GMT.