ASTON VILLA have led a Jekyll and Hyde existence so far in the new Premier League campaign so it will be interesting to see which version turns up for this Halloween clash with in-form West Ham.
Will it be the Villa that impressed by winning at Old Trafford and hammering Everton at home or the Villa that has crashed to three successive defeats to drop down the table?
Having finished 11th last season, Villa were expected to push on under Dean Smith who looked to have spent the £100million bounty from selling Jack Grealish pretty wisely in the transfer market.
But those three losses to Spurs, Wolves and Arsenal left Smith's side sitting 13th heading into the weekend and it's imperative they end that slump when the Hammers come calling.
That's easier said than done, however, with David Moyes' men one of the form teams in England's top flight. Even mighty Manchester City couldn't halt West Ham's momentum in midweek as a shoot-out win made it four victories in a row for the Hammers and busted the coupon of our man Tolu.
Moyes has turned them into a mean machine and another impressive victory in the Midlands would keep them in the Champions League places alongside the Premier League elite.
How the bookies view it
Aston Villa's poor form makes them outsiders here at 23/12 with SBK while West Ham are favourites at 6/4 with most firms. There's not much between these sides which makes the stalemate appealing at 13/5 with SBK.
Recent head to head
West Ham have been something of a bogey team for Villa in recent seasons and are unbeaten in the last six meetings. Both league games ended in wins for the Hammers last term, with a 2-1 victory in London followed by a 3-1 triumph at Villa Park (below).
Players to watch
John McGinn (below) is usually a goal threat for Villa and the midfielder scored in their last home game against Wolves. He's 13/2 with Unibet for anytime scorer here which looks a bit overpriced. McBookie also offer the same price on a McGinn assist and that might be better value.
It's hard to look past Michail Antonio for a Hammers goal as he's integral to the way they play under Moyes. The striker is 17/10 at SportNation to grab his eighth goal of the season.
Anything else catch the eye?
Goals have been guaranteed at both ends with Villa in recent weeks, with over 2.5 goals and BTTS coming up in their last three games. But West Ham have been keeping things tight at the back, with clean sheets in their last four, so it's hard to tell if this will be a thriller or a war of attrition.
The bookies think it will be open, with over 2.5 strikes odds-on, but the 21/20 on offer at BetVictor for under 2.5 goals looks better value to me based on West Ham's recent form.
Both meetings last term produced 10 corners, with Villa winning seven at home and away. That suggests backing them to win most corners here could pay off, with SkyBet pricing that bet at 11/10 and Unibet offering 19/20.
Villa picked up five yellows in their last match at Arsenal and midfielder Douglas Luiz is 5/2 with Unibet to pick up another card in this one.
This English Premier League match between Aston Villa and West Ham United will be played on Oct 31, 2021 and kick off at 16:30. 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.