Sunday sees Aston Villa visit West Ham United in a matchup of two teams that somewhat mirror each other. They each have a sky blue and claret color scheme, very unique, overall, in the world of sports.
They are also both big spenders, certainly splashing the cash more often, and to a higher degree than the average fan might realize. Both sides are also fighting to finish mid-table, because at this point, it is the best they can do in the league this season.
West Ham vs Aston Villa FYIs
Kick-off: Sunday March 12, 3pm local, London Stadium
West Ham Starting XI Preview Material: Go Here
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Form: Aston Villa WWLLL West Ham LWLDD
PL Standing: Aston Villa 11th, 34 pts West Ham 16th, 23 pts
Google Result Probability: Aston Villa victory 29% Draw 28% West Ham victory 43%
With that in mind, let’s preview this puppy! West Ham’s injury list is getting much shorter, certainly a lot shorter than it used to be, but goalkeeper Luksaz Fabiabnski still has that very painful sounding facial injury.
Meanwhile Maxwel Cornet (calf) and Vladimir Coufal (heel) are doubtful for this one. Flipping over to the Villans, Leander Dendoncker is a doubt, due to an undisclosed. Ah, how mysterioso!
Philippe Coutinho (thigh), Diego Carlos (achilles), Jed Steer (calf) and Boubacar Kamara (lower leg) are all ruled out of this one.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.