Boleyn Ground, 1945 GMTWEST HAM:
Manager Gianfranco Zola was left even more perplexed after watching his side let a two-goal lead slip on Saturday to draw 2-2 with Sunderland. The usually mild-mannered Italian said he was unhappy with his players, who lacked 'maturity'.
They were harsh words indeed from Zola, who is beginning to show signs of the strain he is under at the Boleyn Ground. The club's future still hangs in the balance and Zola is clearly not being given the support of the club's board, who are trying to find a buyer for the east London club.
At times like this, he needed his players to rally round him - which is exactly what he got - until Andy Reid mounted a Sunderland comeback in the 39th minute.
Zola will be hoping for a better performance at home against Aston Villa. The Hammers have yet to win at the Boleyn Ground this season and quickly need to end that statistic before it weighs on the players' minds.
In their last performance at home, West Ham did well to come back to earn a point against Arsenal; a draw celebrated as if it was a victory and those memories should give the club a welcome boost.
Zola's assistant, Steve Clarke, is confident his side can earn their first home win of the season during their next two home fixtures.
He said: "It is important we get a win soon or later and tomorrow is a great chance for us. It will be a terrific game. Recent performances have been up and down but we are optimistic and positive. Not winning games concerns us. When you are in front and don't win it is very disappointing. The game against Sunderland is a game we should have taken three points from, but we didn't and we have to take it on the chin. We need to start putting all the good things together to get the win."
Strategy: The spotlight will again fall on who plays in midfield for West Ham. Scott Parker's return from suspension will soften the loss of Radoslav Kovac, who was sent off on Saturday at Sunderland and is consequently suspended. Jack Collison is expected to occupy the left-side of midfield despite too often failing to demonstrate the same kind of form which won him high praise last season. Elsewhere, Zola is expected to keep faith in his back line of Jonathan Spector, Matthew Upson, James Tomkins and Herita Ilunga, despite watching them concede at least two goals in each of their last six games.
Injury Update: Valon Behrami, who has just returned after six months out with a serious knee injury, suffered another injury in West Ham's match in Sunderland and is a doubt. Kovac is suspended while long-term absentee Dean Ashton remains on the sidelines.
ASTON VILLA:
Martin O'Neill's situation at Villa Park is the polar opposite to that of Zola. He has the support of a wealthy owner in American Randy Lerner and presides over a club which is the model of stability, which is why he is hugely sympathetic to the plight of the Italian.
The Aston Villa manager holds Zola in the highest regard for what he achieved as an overseas import at Chelsea and believes he is one of the finest foreign players to grace the English game. He also feels Zola can have the same impact as a manager, but only if the financial problems are removed from the West Ham boardroom.
"He is trying to manage in a very difficult situation and I am sure he would prefer to have been able to go out and buy people like Kaka, rather than have to deal with the situation he has found himself in," said O'Neill.
Not that O'Neill's empathy will prevent him and his Villa players from trying to extend West Ham's winless streak at home to five games as Villa try to push their own claims for a top four finish this season. Victory for Villa will see them leap-frog over Manchester City into fourth place in the table, but that is an achievement that will not have O'Neill shouting from the rooftop of the Holte End.
"People have been reminding me all week that we can go fourth and every time they have mentioned it, I have cringed. We have played ten games so far and going fourth at this stage of the season does not mean an awful lot," he said. "There are a lot of games still to be played and I for one will not get carried away if we win against West Ham. My players won't be either."
Strategy: Despite having a depth of squad previously not seen in his three years at Villa Park, O'Neill has been reluctant to change his starting line up too often for Premier League games this season, but he may be forced to because of injuries and suspension. Stylian Petrov is nursing a badly bruised shin from the draw at Everton, while James Milner has a calf strain. The loss of the key midfielders could offer an opportunity for Nigel Reo-Coker in a central midfield role against his former club, which should not upset the balance of the side too much, but the Villa lack a natural replacement for Milner in wide areas. That may prompt O'Neill to return to the 4-3-3 formation he used on regular occasions last season with Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young flanking John Carew in a three-pronged attack. O'Neill also has to decide whether Luke Young or Habib Beye replace the suspended Carlos Cuellar at right-back.
Injury Update: Milner and Petrov will both have late fitness tests before O'Neill finalises his team. Stewart Downing (fractured metatarsal) is still a month away from making his Villa debut. Central defender Curtis Davies is not expected back until next month, following his shoulder surgery. Craig Gardner (groin) and Wilfred Bouma (ankle) are also unavailable.
