Sunday brings a claret and blue cup where there is a whole lot on the line for both sides! Aston Villa are clinging to thje final spot in the top four, by just two points over Liverpool. West Ham meanwhile, are knocking on the doorstep of escaping relegation. So while this match may be about vastly different demaraction points, it is indeed a clash of two sides in iconic, matching color schemes trying to reach/maintain a certain threshhold. And it’s one where we have three injury concerns to cover: Crysencio Summerville (calf), Oliver Scarles (undisclosed) and Youri Tielemans (ankle).
West Ham United at Aston Villa FYIs
Kickoff: Sun March 22, 4:30pm, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Google Result Probability: Aston Villa 48% Draw 26% West Ham 26%
Team News for Both Sides
Let’s start with Villa, and Tielemans. He has an outside shot of making the matchday squad here, with manager Unai Emery saying earlier on Friday: “Today is the first time he trained with us, and he’s feeling good. He’s important [but] I don’t know if he’s going to be in the squad for Sunday.”
Outside of Tielemans, the only injury concern here is Boubacar Kamara (knee), who is long ruled out for the season.
If Villa loses here, it would mark the first time since April of 2022 where they have suffered four consecutive losses in the Premier League. Additionally, Emery has never lost four in a row in the league, in any league that he’s ever been in, at any point of his career.
Shifting gears to the Hammers, Nuno Espirito Santo ruled out Summerville for this one: “Not available for this game. He’s getting better each day… we are assessing day-by-day, but for Sunday, he is not going to be available.”
But he passed Scarles as match fit: “OK. Outside of Cry, everybody is available and working.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.