New West Ham United manager Graham Potter oversees his first game in charge of the club on Friday as the Irons travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round.
The inevitable was finally formalized this week as Julen Lopetegui was sacked after a hugely disappointing start to the campaign. The Spaniard was quickly replaced by former Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion boss Potterwho has been unemployed since April 2023.
West Ham have confirmed Potter will be in charge for Friday’s trip to the Midlands in the FA Cup and it will prove to be a tough task on his Hammers debut. The capital have conceded nine in their last two away games and lost their Premier League meeting with Villa in Lopetegui’s first competitive game in August.
Villa’s form has not been flawless in recent weeks, but they triumphed in the 2025 showdown against struggling Leicester City. Leon Bailey’s winner ended a two-match winless streak and lifted Unai Emery’s team to eighth place in the Premier League table.
Here 90 minutes a guide to all the Premier League affairs in the FA Cup third round.
Aston Villa vs West Ham H2H record (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Aston Villa |
West Ham |
|---|---|
|
Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester – 01.04.25 |
Man City 4-1 West Ham – 01.04.25 |
|
Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton – 30.12.24 |
West Ham 0-5 Liverpool – 29.12.24 |
|
Newcastle 3-0 Aston Villa – 26.12.24 |
Southampton 0-1 West Ham – 26.12.24 |
|
Aston Villa 2-1 Man City – 21.12.24 |
West Ham 1-1 Brighton – 21.12.24 |
|
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Aston Villa – 14.12.24 |
Bournemouth 1-1 West Ham – 16.12.24 |
|
Earth |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
Great Britain |
ITV 1, ITVX, STV, STV Player, UTV |
|
United States |
ESPN+, the ESPN app |
|
Canada |
Sportsnet World Now, Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet World, Sportsnet Now Plus |
Villa will be without the services of John McGinn on Friday night, with the influential midfielder currently sidelined with a hamstring injury against Leicester the last time.
Villans are also lacking at centre-back. Pau Torres misses with his foot injury picked up in the final game last year, while Diego Carlos, who has been linked with dropping out since January, is doubtful to feature.
Jhon Duran serves the last game three match ban due to red card picked up in the recent defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League. In even better news, Morgan Rogers is back from a one-game suspension.
The third round of the FA Cup usually requires big changes for Premier League sides and Villa could use this opportunity to give some players a rest. However, they cannot afford to make too many changes against the first division team.
Predicted line-up of Aston Villa against West Ham (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Bogarde, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans; Bailey, Buendia, Rogers; Watkins.
Potter will choose his first West Ham starting XI on Friday and is unlikely to make too many changes to the familiar line-up. However, the Englishman has several injuries that limit his choice.
Jarrod Bowen is the most significant absentee for the Hammers, with the energetic winger breaking his foot in the process Defeat against Liverpool 5-0. He joins fellow striker Michail Antonio in the treatment room as the Jamaica international recovers from a broken leg he suffered in traffic accident.
Lukasz Fabianski has missed recent games with a head injury and will be out on Friday, meaning Alphonse Areola will start between the sticks. Emerson was absent in the defeat to Manchester City last time out and remains a doubt for Friday, while Jean-Clair Todibo was withdrawn through injury at the Etihad Stadium and could be unavailable.
Predicted line-up of West Ham against Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Areola; Coufal, Mavropanos, Kilman, Wan-Bissaka; Soucek, Alvarez; Kudus, Paqueta, Summerville; Full circle.
Potter will have an incredibly limited amount of interaction with his new team ahead of Friday’s game and it is unlikely that significant improvements will come at Villa Park. It could be an instructive encounter for the 49-year-old, even in probable defeat.
Villa have a strong home record this season and are unlikely to field a completely changed line-up to visit West Ham. Should Emery select a strong line-up, the Midlands side should have little trouble finding their footing on Friday and securing their place in the fourth round.
Prediction: Aston Villa 3-1 West Ham
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