
West Ham vs Aston Villa Prediction and Betting Tips: Back Leon Bailey to find the net

West Ham and Aston Villa meet in Sunday’s sole Premier League fixture after both enjoyed midweek European success. Find our preview and best bets for the game below.
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The Hammers fought back from a first-leg defeat in their Europa League last-16 tie with Freiburg to win 5-0 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate to secure a quarter-final berth.
Villa brushed Ajax aside 4-0 to reach the last eight of the Europa Conference League - but they have loftier ambitions this term and head to London seeking to retain their place in the top four of the Premier League.
Team news
Both West Ham and Villa picked up a few fresh concerns in their midweek European wins.
Hammers star Lucas Paqueta was withdrawn on Thursday after picking up a knock, but Irons boss David Moyes hinted that the issue wasn’t too serious so the Brazilian may be involved. Emerson will be assessed but Maxwel Cornet is out.
Ollie Watkins was forced off in the first half of Villa’s win over Ajax but manager Unai Emery has said he still has a chance of featuring on Sunday.
Jacob Ramsey is closing in on a return for the visitors, who will be without the suspended John McGinn after his sending-off against Spurs last week.
Predicted line-ups:
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Areola; Coufal, Mavropanos, Aguerd, Cresswell; Soucek, Phillips; Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta; Bowen
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Tielemans, Luiz; Bailey, Ramsey, Diaby, Watkins.
West Ham vs Aston Villa Tips
Villa thumped West Ham 4-1 on home soil earlier this season and their impressive road form suggests they may be able to complete a league double in the capital on Sunday.
However, the best option could be to go for the goals at the London Stadium with over 3.5 goals appealing most at 11/8.
There have been at least four goals in four of West Ham’s last five games and they have scored 14 goals themselves during that period.
Meanwhile, over 3.5 goals has been a winning bet in four of Villa’s last five games and they have netted a very respectable 11 goals during that time.
These teams tend to be involved in competitive affairs and both teams have scored in seven of the last eight meetings, so these in-form attacks could combine for at least four goals on Sunday - particularly if Pacqueta and Watkins can shrug off their respective injury concerns.
Watkins and West Ham striker Jarrod Bowen will always stand out as potential scorers, but at a bigger price Leon Bailey is worth consideration.
The Jamaica international was on target against Ajax in midweek and has scored two goals and registered two assists in his last five games in all competitions.
Bailey scored the fourth goal in the Villa Park meeting earlier this season and he could trouble West Ham’s defence once again.
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