Aston Villa and West Ham United will battle it out for a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Aston Villa vs West Ham United best bets
- Aston Villa to win – 4/6 with SBK
- Over 3.5 goals – 31/20 with talkSPORT BET
- Morgan Rogers to score any time – 21/10 with Paddy Power
Aston Villa vs West Ham United odds
Find the latest match odds for Aston Villa vs West Ham United. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Aston Villa vs West Ham United predictions
Outside of the Premier League’s big six, there are not many bigger clubs than Aston Villa and West Ham United.
Supporters of this duo rightly see their side as one of English football’s institutions. As a result, both clubs will be targeting a run deep in the FA Cup.
From the perspective of a neutral, that outcome looks much more likely for Villa than it does for West Ham right now.
Unai Emery’s side have struggled for consistency in the Premier League this term, but they remain in the mix for the top-five finish that would probably bring with it a place in next season’s Champions League.
Villa have also made some waves in that tournament, with a place in the round of 16 very much on the cards.
West Ham fans have had much less to cheer about in 2024/25. A 4-1 defeat by Manchester City last weekend left them in 13th place in the Premier League, closer to the bottom three than the top eight in terms of points.
David Moyes’ second spell at the London Stadium had reached its natural end last summer, but his successor Julen Lopetegui has not impressed so far. At the time of writing the Spaniard is said to be on the verge of the sack.
West Ham spent heavily in the last transfer window and the squad Lopetegui inherited contained talent like Jarrod Bowen, Mo Kudus and Lucas Paqueta. Yet the Hammers have been underwhelming at best up to now.
West Ham have seldom fired managers in the middle of the season. This is a club that stuck with Avram Grant in 2010/11 until relegation was confirmed. West Ham have had just 17 permanent managers in their entire history.
Still, Lopetegui appears to be on his way out. West Ham are working on a deal to bring in Graham Potter, but someone else will probably lead the team on Friday.
A trip to Villa Park represents a much tougher third-round tie than West Ham were hoping for at this early stage of the competition.
Emery is arguably a better cup than league manager and he will be determined to take Villa into the next round of the world’s oldest national knockout competition.
Aston Villa vs West Ham United betting tips
Aston Villa and West Ham United will face off in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday night.
Aston Villa to win
Aston Villa exceeded expectations by qualifying for the Champions League with a top-four finish last term.
With Emery at the helm, Villa are aiming to establish themselves as a genuine power in English football. Winning a first trophy since 1996 is a vital step on the path in that direction.
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FA Cup glory will not be easy given the competition from the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle United.
No one will relish facing Villa, though, and that includes a West Ham United team that has won just one of its last five outings (and that was against last-placed Southampton).
The hosts should have too much quality for West Ham in this one.
Back Aston Villa to win at 4/6 with SBK
Over 3.5 goals
West Ham United have shipped nine goals in their last two encounters. Granted their opponents were Liverpool and Manchester City, but that is not the sort of defensive record that inspires confidence.
Only three teams have had their backline breached more often in the Premier League than Lopetegui’s men.
That bodes ill for this trip to Villa Park, where the hosts have scored at least twice in four of their last five games.
Whether or not they rotate for Friday’s game, West Ham will find it difficult to keep the back door shut.
West Ham do possess quality in attacking areas, though, so we could be treated to a few goals.
Choose over 3.5 goals at 31/20 with talkSPORT BET
Morgan Rogers to score any time
Morgan Rogers was forced to sit out the Leicester game last weekend through suspension, but Aston Villa managed to get the job done without him.
Had he not been banned last time out, Rogers might have been rested by Emery for this game under the floodlights at Villa Park.
As it is, the attacking midfielder will probably feature from the first whistle as Villa seek a place in the fourth round.
West Ham United have struggled to keep opposition frontlines quiet of late and they will have their hands full in dealing with the likes of Rogers and Ollie Watkins here.
Rogers has scored six goals in the Premier League this season, putting him behind only Watkins and Jhon Duran in the Villa charts. At the odds available, this looks like an attractive wager.
Tip Morgan Rogers to score any time at 21/10 with Paddy Power
How to watch Aston Villa vs West Ham United
- Location: Villa Park, Birmingham, England.
- Date and time: Friday 10th January, 8pm.
- How to watch: ITV1.
Read more about the 2024/25 football season
- Premier League winner predictions
- Premier League top scorer odds
- Premier League relegation odds
- Champions League winner odds
- Championship promotion odds
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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