Aston Villa v West Ham preview

Last meeting: West Ham 2-1 Aston Villa (04-11-09). A last-minute strike from Zavon Hines earned the Hammers their first home league victory of the season. Mark Noble had given the hosts the lead on the stroke of half-time from the penalty spot, but a wonder goal from Ashley Young appeared to have salvaged a point for the visitors until Hines' intervention.

The opposition: A run of five consecutive victories was halted when Aston Villa were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal at the end of 2009. A late Fernando Torres goal saw Liverpool snatch the points at Villa Park but a 3-1 win over Blackburn in the FA Cup has steadied the ship. Riding high in sixth place, Villa are in the thick of the battle for an elusive Champions League spot.

Danger men: A team packed with homegrown talent, there are plenty of threats for West Ham to contend with. From South Africa World Cup prospect Ashley Young's tricky runs down the right to the ever-growing figure of James Milner and the physical presence of John Carew.

Did you know? Aston Villa's first game in their history was against Aston Brook St Mary's Rugby team in 1874. The two sides agreed to play one half under rugby rules, and the second under football terms.

Prediction: Aston Villa 2 West Ham 0.

Betting tip: West Ham have struggled to find the net consistently in recent weeks, and could struggle in the absence of Carlton Cole and Guillermo Franco. However, they started to look more solid at the back against Arsenal and may be a decent bet to keep a clean sheet on Sunday.