David Moyes knows what he must do for West Ham to expose of Aston Villa’s high risk plan and take full advantage this weekend.
The Premier League is back – thank goodness – and it is a battle of the claret and blues as West Ham travel to Aston Villa on Sunday evening.
The clash, which is live on Sky Sports, promises to be a tightly contested match between two teams separated by just two places and two points in the table approaching the quarter-way stage.
West Ham have had much the better of this particular fixture in the last decade, losing just once in the Premier League to Aston Villa in 14 matches since 2013.
David Moyes knows what he must do for West Ham to expose Aston Villa’s high risk plan
With the two sides well matched on paper, it could be a game of fine margins at Villa Park.
And David Moyes knows what he must do for West Ham to expose of Aston Villa’s high risk plan.
Unai Emery’s reputation may have taken something of a battering at Arsenal but he’s certainly repairing it at Aston Villa.
They are exciting to watch when they’re on song and both Villa and West Ham have proved themselves to be early contenders for that fifth spot and what is all but certain to be a Champions League place this season.
High line is high risk, high reward for Emery
Emery and Hammers boss Moyes take very different approaches to the way they play.
Moyes loves a low defensive block and West Ham, while slowly improving the way they look after the ball, are unashamed in their counter-attacking style with a big focus on set pieces.
Emery, though, insists on playing a high defensive line – as Manuel Pellegrini used to at West Ham.
And it is that high defensive line West Ham must exploit.
West Ham have the players and the style of exploit Villa’s plan
In order to do that Moyes must be brave and play either Jarrod Bowen or Mohammed Kudus up front instead of Michail Antonio.
Of course Antonio is quick but he’s not as sharp and incisive with his running as Bowen or Kudus. To take advantage of the weakness of Villa’s high line it needs clever, well-timed and angled runs.
Think back to when West Ham played Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final. That run from Bowen – and beautiful pass from Lucas Paqueta – brutally exposed their high line to devastating effect.
Antonio has not got that in his locker. If Moyes starts him up front against Villa, it will play into Emery’s hands. He will engage the centre-backs and turn it into a physical battle which is just what the hosts want.
Either Kudus or Bowen is perfect as the striker for this game and if West Ham can defend well against Aston Villa’s often ruthless attack they can seriously punish Emery’s tactics.
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