Aston Villa and West Ham face off in an all-Premier League tie at Villa Park in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday night.
Unai Emery’s side returned to winning ways in the Premier League last weekend with a 2-1 win over Leicester, in a game that brought up one of my player-based selections.
That victory moved Villa up to eighth position in the top-flight table, just four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
The Villians now turn their attention towards the FA Cup – a trophy that they have lifted on no fewer than seven occasions.
Meanwhile, West Ham became the latest side in the Premier League to pull the trigger on their manager as they parted company with Julen Lopetegui earlier this week.
The Hammers have since confirmed Graham Potter as their new head coach, with the former Brighton and Chelsea boss set to be in the dugout for this cup clash on Friday night.
How the bookies view it: Villa set for victory
Aston Villa are are firm 8/13 favourites on Boylesports to book their place in the third round of the FA Cup with a 90 minute victory on Friday night
West Ham are as big as 16/5 on Boylesports to emerge from Villa Park victorious inside regulation time, while the draw is also considered unlikely at 3/1 with the same firm.
Head to head: Villa seeking some deja vu
Aston Villa have already defeated West Ham this season, having claimed a 2-1 success at the London Stadium on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. Emery’s side can also draw confidence from the fact that they thumped the Hammers 4-1 at this venue last season.
Players to watch: Ollie to haunt the Hammers?
Ollie Watkins has proven to be a real thorn in West Ham’s side in recent seasons, netting four times across his previous seven appearances against the capital club. The Villa ace is 10/11 on UniBet to either score or assist on Friday night and those odds hold plenty of appeal.
Niclas Fullkrug notched for West Ham against Man City last weekend and he is an eye-catching 11/4 on Boylesports to repeat the trick at Villa Park.
Predicted line-ups
Diego Carlos and Pau Torres have been joined in the Aston Villa treatment room by John McGinn, while Jhon Duran will serve the final game of his three-match suspension.
New West Ham boss Potter will be unable to call upon the services of attackers Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio, while defensive duo Emerson and Jean-Clair Todibo are major doubts.
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
Anything else catch the eye?
With an entertaining FA Cup tie anticipated on Friday night, a play on both teams to score and over 2.5 goals looks worthy of support at even-money (1/1) on Boylesports.
BTTS and overs has clicked in 13 of Aston Villa’s 20 Premier League games this season, including five of their last six home games.
It’s also worth noting that this bet would have proven profitable in the previous meeting between the pair earlier this season.
This FA Cup match between Aston Villa and West Ham United will be played on Jan 10, 2025 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Aston Villa vs West Ham United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
