West Ham have very much been the benchmark for their Premier League rivals Aston Villa in recent years at home and abroad.
Like Aston Villa are now, West Ham have been pushing the Premier League elite in three of the last four seasons.
And the Hammers have tasted glory by winning the Europa Conference League.
That’s something Aston Villa are aiming to emulate this season too.
West Ham are once again knocking on the door for a fourth successive season of European football.
And Villa are having a phenomenal season under Unai Emery. The Villans sit fourth in the Premier League table on 55 points – three places and 13 points above West Ham.
Villa looking to go one better than West Ham
They are on course to qualify for the Champions League – just as West Ham were at this stage in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
Indeed the Hammers finished agonisingly short of the top four by a solitary win in 2021.
Back-to-back wins over Brentford and Everton have got the Hammers back in seventh – which is a European spot after Liverpool’s Carabao Cup triumph.
And David Moyes’ side are just two points off Man United in sixth and Spurs in fifth.
But Aston Villa’s manager has just insulted the Hammers when pressed on the European shake-up.
Emery’s West Ham insult
Emery had a big slap in the face for West Ham when asked about Aston Villa hanging on to a European spot.
The Spaniard named Man United, Spurs, Newcastle and even 11th placed Chelsea as teams capable of catching Aston Villa.
Emery even named Tottenham twice. But there was no mention of West Ham.
“I can’t rule Spurs, Manchester United, Tottenham even Chelsea and Newcastle United out of the possibility to get us,” Emery said on Sky Sports after Villa’s 3-2 win at Luton.
How West Ham could join Villa in Champions League
“And I want to send the same message (to the players and fans) – until the game 32, 33, 34 we are going to try and focus each match to try and achieve the most points possible.
“But we are not contenders, we are not contenders until game 32, 33, 34. If we are there (then) we can change our objective. Of course we are happy, we are trying to compete. But we know we have to be humble and focus to work hard.”
Emery’s predecessor Steven Gerrard made West Ham the blueprint for Villa to follow.
But they are now on the verge of going one better and making the new-look Champions League.
West Ham have a chance to potentially do that too if they can make a late surge and grab fifth spot.
And of course the Hammers will qualify for the Champions League if they win the Europa League.
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