ASTON VILLA
Premier League, Villa Park, Sunday 22 October 2023, 4.30pm BST
West Ham United have enjoyed trips to Villa Park in recent years and head to Aston unbeaten in their last five Premier League visits.
Draws in May 2015 and September 2019 were followed by a Jesse Lingard-inspired 3-1 win on the Manchester United loanee’s debut in February, an even more emphatic 4-1 victory in October 2021, and a 1-0 success in August 2022. Pablo Fornals has scored in each of those two most-recent wins.
Aston Villa enjoyed a superb 2022/23 season following the appointment of Spanish manager Unai Emery in November last year, finishing seventh in the Premier League to qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The former Sevilla and Arsenal boss has a talented squad at his disposal, led by England striker Ollie Watkins, Scotland midfielder and captain John McGinn, Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz, Argentina goalkeeper and 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Emiliano Martínez and Jamaica winger Leon Bailey.
Villa’s challenge now is not just to repeat their strong Premier League showing, but to do so while dealing with the extra demands of European football for the first time since 2010/11.
How to get there…
The address for your sat nav is Villa Park, Trinity Rd, Birmingham, B6 6HE. However, there is next to no parking available at the ground and a traffic exclusion zone is imposed around the stadium on matchdays from two hours prior to kick-off until up to 60 minutes after the final whistle.
Official parking is available at Aston Social Club in Aston Hall Road (postcode B6 7JU) and Powerleague Birmingham in Lichfield Road (postcode B6 7TG).
Any supporters with accessibility requirements should contact our Disabled Liaison Officer on 0333 323 1874 for information on disabled parking. Parking needs to be booked in advance of the match.
For those travelling by train, the nearest stations are Witton and Aston, both of which are on lines from Birmingham New Street. Direct trains from London Euston to New Street leave at 11.52, 12.39, 13.09, 13.39 and 14.15. After the game, direct services leave New Street at 18.47, 19.21 and 19.47.
Where to stay…
If you want to make a Saturday night of it in Birmingham, you are best off staying in the city centre, where you will have the full choice of accommodation, food, drink and entertainment options.
If you fancy somewhere a bit different, the Convention Quarter contains Brindley Place, a vibrant area full of shops, hotels, bars, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, or why not try Digbeth, which has been transformed from Birmingham’s industrial heartland into a distinctive, trendy and creative area full of independent traders.
What to do…
Birmingham has something for everyone, as you expect from the country’s second largest city.
There are attractions galore for you to visit if you're making a weekend of your visit to the West Midlands.
The Birmingham Back to Backs (pictured) are a National Trust run court of back-to-back houses that were home to working-class residents in the 19th century, while the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull charts the history of British motorcycles.
If you have a sweet tooth, head to Cadbury World in Bourneville to learn how the world-famous confectionary is made, or if fish are your thing, visit the The National SEA LIFE Centre Brimingham in the city centre.
However, visitors should note that the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is closed for refurbishment at present.
What’s happened there before…
As mentioned in the introduction, we are unbeaten in our last five visits to Villa Park in the Premier League, winning the most recent three.
Prior to that, we also won 2-0 there in the Premier League in February 2014, when current first-team coach Kevin Nolan eased the Irons’ relegation fears with a double strike.
Our best-ever result at Villa Park was a 5-1 First Division victory scored in April 1927, when Vic Watson (two), Stan Earle, Joseph Johnson and Jimmy Ruffell shared the visitors’ goals.
Overall, our biggest top-flight win over Villa came in August 1958, when Ted Fenton’s newly promoted Hammers thrashed their opponents 7-2 in the First Division at the Boleyn Ground, where Vic Keeble, John Dick and Malcolm Musgrove each scored twice.
