Key events
Today’s Premier League results
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Arsenal 2-0 Wolves
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Oh, Everton 0-3 Brighton
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Ipswich 0-2 Liverpool
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Newcastle 1-0 Southampton
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Nottm Forest 1-1 Bournemouth
“Having suffered another depressing start to my Everton boys’ season, I am looking forward to a palate cleanser of bright football from Villa,” writes Mary Waltz. “I think they will retain their well-earned top four status from last season.”
I don’t think they will, personally, though they’ll be loads of fun to watch and it wouldn’t shock me if they went quite deep in the Champions League.
A reminder of the teams
West Ham (possible 4-2-3-1) Areola, Coufal, Kilman, Mavropanos, Emerson; Soucek, Rodriguez; Bowen, Kudus, Lucas Paqueta; Antonio.
Substitutes: Fabianski, Cresswell, Summerville, Ward-Prowse, Fullkrug, Ings, Todibo, Wan-Bissaka, Irving.
Aston Villa (possible 4-2-2-2) Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Bailey, McGinn; Watkins, Rogers.
Substitutes: Gauci, Diego Carlos, Barkley, Duran, Buendia, Philogene-Bidace, Nedeljkovic, Maatsen, Ramsey.
Referee Tony Harrington.
Season previews
Team news
Guido Rodriguez and Max Kilman are the only summer signings to start for West Ham, though Niclas Fullkrug and friends are on the bench.
Ollie Watkins starts up front for Villa, whose team also includes their big summer signing Amadou Onana.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of West Ham v Aston Villa at the London Stadium. This claret and blue contest is one of the better fixtures of the opening weekend, a hard-to-call meeting between a team that is making a fresh start and another that is about to explore new territory. Villa’s Champions League campaign starts next month, so for now their focus is to pick up where they left off in the Premier League.
West Ham want less of the same: not so much an improvement in results as a change of style now that Julen Lopetegui has replaced David Moyes. They’ve had a very good transfer window, bringing in Niclas Fullkrug, Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo among others. A team that has lived and breathed counter-attacks for the last few years may take a while to adjust to having more of the ball. We’ll soon find out.
Kick off 5.30pm.
