West Ham United starting XI v Aston Villa: Declan Rice returns in 5 changes
West Ham United will be looking to secure their first points of the 2022-23 season this afternoon as they take on Aston Villa in the Midlands.
The Irons are yet to even score in the Premier League after three games but a trip to face Steven Gerrard’s wobbly Villans might be the necessary medicine for the problem.
Gianluca Scamacca has impressed in the Europa Conference League playoff games to see the Hammers into the group stage where they will face Steaua Bucharest, Silkeborg and Anderlecht.
For the trip to Villa Park, though, David Moyes has made five changes to the side that triumphed in Denmark against Viborg with Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Kurt Zouma all returning to the side and Emerson Palmieri making his debut at left wing-back.
Critical
You don’t often get games that are this crucial just four matches into a new season but defeat away at Aston Villa today could be hugely detrimental to West Ham United.
The opening three games all possessed their own problems with the reigning champions, a newly-promoted side in their first top-flight game at home in decades and the always fast-starting Brighton but no more excuses can be made.
Villa have had an equally slow start to the season although they do have three points on the board thanks to victory at home to Everton on gameweek two, which is basically a freebie anyway.
The former England international will be thinking exactly the same as they will look to take advantage of the Irons’ slow start to the new campaign and with European games set to come thick and fast, along with the Carabao Cup before the World Cup break, a win in the Midlands is almost a must for the Hammers.
But with this starting team and the strength on the bench, there will not be a chance as good as this to get off the mark in 2022-23.