West Ham v Villa Premier League Preview: O’Neill To Recall Big Guns For Trip To The Hammers

*

West Ham United play Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa in the Premier League at Upton Park on Saturday.

Gianfranco Zola’s Hammers side go into this match with just one win in their last 5 league outings, which was against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, but have also drawn with top two Premier League teams Liverpool and Chelsea away from home in this sequence. However, West Ham are just one point of the relegation zone in 16th place and will be hoping to come out of this clash with an inform Villa side with something on Saturday.

The Villans are unbeaten in their last 5 Premiership games, which has seen them draw with Manchester United and Fulham, while beating Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers and Everton. This run has seen O’Neill’s team climb into the Champions League places in 4th place above the Gunners. Villa are yet to draw an away game in the Premier League this season, winning 5 and losing 3 on their travels away from Villa Park.

The Hammers are unable to call on striker Dean Ashton (Os Trigonum syndrome), Daniel Gabbidon (groin), Lee Bowyer (thigh) and James Collins (calf) for the visit of the Midlands club, with Carlton Cole expected to partner Craig Bellamy upfront for West Ham.

Martin O’Neill is still without Wilfred Bouma (ankle) and striker John Carew (back) for the trip to Upton Park, but is expected to recall captain Martin Laursen along with Gareth Barry, Ashley Young, James Milner and Gabriel Agbonlahor, who were all rested for the UEFA Cup tie with Hamburg on Wednesday.

West Ham United: (from) Green, Neill, Upson, Ilunga, Lopez, Dyer, Parker, Bellamy, Etherington, Cole, Boa Morte, Noble, Mullins, Spector, Faubert, Behrami, Stokes, Lastuvka, Tristan, Davenport, Collison, Di Michele, Sears, Stech, Hines, Jefferey, Widdowson

Aston Villa: (from) Friedel, L Young, Sidwell, Laursen, Barry, A Young, Milner, Harewood, Agbonlahor, Delfouneso, Davies, Knight, Salifou, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Shorey, Guzan, Cuellar, Gardner, Osbourne, Bannan, Herd

Arsenal v Villa Premiership Preview: Van Persie Suspended & Adebayor 50/50 For Gunners – Carew A Doubt For Villans

• 
  

Arsenal play, Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners go into the clash with Aston Villa full of confidence after their 2-0 win against Manchester United last Saturday, which saw the North London club bounce straight back after defeat to Stoke City at the Britannia the week before. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will want to collect all three points against Villa in order to keep in touch with Chelsea and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

The Villans go into this clash with Arsenal on the back of two straight league defeats to Newcastle United and then more surprisingly Middlesbrough at Villa Park last weekend. This mini-blip has seen the Midlands side lose a little ground at the sharp end of the table, with Aston Villa hoping to take something away from the Emirates to keep the promising start to the campaign on track.

Wenger will bring back his regular first-team squad for the visit of Villa, having played his youngsters in the 3-0 Carling Cup win against Wigan Athletic on Tuesday. However, he faces a selection dilemma in the centre of defence, with Gunners captain William Gallas available after injury, Wenger must decide whether to leave out Mikael Silvestre, who has earned a recall to the French squad on the back of recent displays for Arsenal.

Robin van Persie is suspended for Arsenal and Emmanuel Adebayor (ankle) is only rated 50/50 by Wenger, while goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has a better chance of playing against Villa.

“We will assess the situation of Adebayor on Friday," Wenger told the club website. “He is 50-50.

“We have to assess Almunia too. He is 70-30 at the moment.

“He has to go into a normal (training) game to see how he deals with it.”

Emmanuel Eboue (knee) and long-term absentee Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), will miss the clash, but Wenger will be boosted by Croatian International Eduardo’s progress, who is only a week or so away from a return for Arsenal after his broken leg.

Aston Villa are hopeful Stiliyan Petrov (hamstring) and Luke Young (thigh) will be fit to face the Gunners, but will be missing long-term injured Wilfred Bouma (ankle) for their trip to the Emirates, with striker John Carew also a doubt for the clash with a hip problem.

Arsenal: (from) Almunia, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Sagna, Fabregas, Walcott, Diaby, Denilson, Song, Adebayor, Bendtner, Ramsey, Vela, Fabianski, Silvestre, Djourou, Wilshere, Nasri, Vela, Mannone, Bischoff, Fonte, Gibbs, Hoyte, Lansbury, Randall, Simpson

Aston Villa: (from) Friedel, L Young, Sidwell, Laursen, Barry, A Young, Milner, Harewood, Carew, Agbonlahor, Delfouneso, Davies, Knight, Salifou, Routledge, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Shorey, Guzan, Cuellar, Gardner, Osbourne