Paul Merson predicts result of West Ham United v Aston Villa in Crysencio Summerville verdict
West Ham United will get their Premier League season up and running with a draw against Aston Villa, according to Paul Merson.
The Sky Sports pundit believes that the Julen Lopetegui era at the London Stadium will get underway with a draw against Unai Emery’s Villans on Saturday (17 August), predicting that the two sides will play out a 1-1 draw.
Both sides have bolstered their ranks in the transfer window, but Merson isn’t convinced all of the Hammers’ arrivals will be able to gel together on the pitch, despite being a fan of Crysencio Summerville.
Writing for Sportskeeda (15 August) he said: “West Ham have bought well this summer and will be hard to defeat. Summerville was ripping it up in the Championship last season, but he will now be playing against better full-backs – we’ll have to wait and see.
“If you’re City, Arsenal, or Liverpool and you take four out of six points off Aston Villa, that’s a bonus. Those are points that you have gained on your competitors. They’re a difficult team to beat but they’re in the Champions League.
“This will be a long season for them, and they’re not used to it. Some of their players have not played in Europe at all. Aston Villa have a very good manager, however, and that will make a difference.
“This is a difficult game for both teams. West Ham have bought well but their players will have to gel well together. A draw will be a good result for both sides this weekend.”
West Ham and Aston Villa to draw Premier League clash at London Stadium
Hammers supporters will want to see their team get off to a winning start given the business completed at the London Stadium, but as Merson suggests, the results of the window may not be immediately visible.
Lopetegui has rebuilt the playing squad from top to bottom this summer and it would be naive to assume his eight new signings are all going to immediately gel together and hit the ground running in East London.
On top of that, Villa have strengthened after last season’s impressive top-four finish. Emery’s side won’t be easy to play against and they will pick apart and exploit any weaknesses in the Irons’ ranks.
If Merson’s prediction is right and the Hammers only come away with a point from the opening day, there may be an initial feeling of disappointment around the fanbase. But underneath the frustration, that would be a good start.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have agreed a seven-figure fee with Manchester City as one man closes in on a move to the Etihad
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