Paul Merson makes interesting admission in Aston Villa v West Ham prediction
Paul Merson expects West Ham to suffer the same fate they did against Aston Villa when the two sides met in the FA Cup when they face off in the Premier League this weekend.
Graham Potter’s first game in charge was in the FA Cup against Villa where his side lost 2-1 and they have a quick chance for revenge at Villa Park on Sunday (26 January).
Since then, the Irons picked up three points against Fulham but failed to back it up after losing 2-0 against Crystal Palace on Saturday (18 January).
Therefore, going into this game Merson envisages another loss in an “interesting” fixture, as he wrote on Sportskeeda (23 January): “West Ham were coming off the back of a good result but Crystal Palace beat them quite comfortably.
“It was a good result for Aston Villa last time out, but honestly, they were never in that game against Arsenal. If that game had gone on for another five or 10 minutes, Arsenal would have won 3-2 or even 4-2!
“This is an interesting fixture because West Ham were knocked out by Villa in the third round of the FA Cup earlier this month. I don’t expect the result to be any different this weekend. Prediction 2-1.”
Graham Potter wants West Ham to pick up
Although supporters will have been pleased to see Potter come into the London Stadium to replace Lopetegui, the new manager will require time in order to make real change in East London.
The Hammers spent a lot of money during the summer transfer window that hasn’t really paid off but has left Potter and the recruitment team needing to box clever in the winter transfer window.
Furthermore, a number of injuries to key players in the squad has also left the 49-year-old unable to assess his options across the pitch.
The Irons are expected to bring new faces into the club in order to boost their prospects but even then, their manager might prove to be a slow burn when it comes to creating a real change at The London Stadium.
Therefore, if Merson is right and his side loses this game, supporters will need to keep in mind the long-term project and put up with some more tough games before the change comes.
In other West ham news, John Mousinho has shared an update on whether Freddie potts is going to be recalled from his loan deal at Fratton Park.
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