’I am not with them…’ Roy Keane predicts Aston Villa’s clash at West Ham United. Aston Villa will kick off their Premier League campaign with a tricky away clash at West Ham United on Saturday evening. Everyone will remember Unai Emery watching his team concede five at Newcastle United on the opening day of the 2023/24 season.
That proved that opening-day games, their results and performances, mean very little because Aston Villa went on to secure Champions League football. But now they have a bigger target on their head because they are in the biggest of waters and they have to learn to swim, or else, they will drown.
Aston Villa‘s pre-season has been pretty dismal – losing four matches – and the team are still conceding goals for fun, which is a worry. This is probably why Ian Wright and Jill Scott think Villa’s trip to the London Stadium will be a five-goal thriller, but Roy Keane completely disagrees.
Whilst Wright and Scott feel the Hammers will start the new season with their new manager, Julen Lopetegui with three points, Keane thinks those in the Midlands will start off with a bang, as he told Stick to Football. The Manchester United legend is backing the Champions League side to ‘get a result’.
West Ham United v Aston Villa at the London Stadium
“They (Ian Wright and Jill Scott) want to go 3-2 (to West Ham), but I am not with them on this one,” said Keane. “Villa are getting a result there.”
Aston Villa’s struggles in pre-season
Not many can hold their heads up high because pre-season was pretty poor and you now wonder how Villa will line up against West Ham.
One new face who could start is, Kosta Nedeljkovic. There are three options to choose from for right-back, including Matty Cash and Ezri Konsa. But Nedeljkovic has been Villa’s best player in pre-season and deserves to start against the Hammers, with Konsa fitting in at centre-back.
Diego Carlos’ departure from Villa hangs in the balance, with the Brazilian not featuring in his side’s final pre-season match at Borussia Dortmund.
