Another chance to steal a march: Aston Villa v West Ham United match preview and team news

Favourable Premier League results haven't always been converted into an advantage but Villa have another opening on Sunday

On Friday and Saturday, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all failed to win. It was good news for Everton and Brentford, whose European prospects now look very promising, and in the case of the Toffees it was all their own work.

Aston Villa will have been watching those Premier League scores coming in with a keen eye too. Despite their own disappointing recent results, the teams around them in the fight for Champions League places have left the door open for them again.

Everton and Brentford are chasing Villa too, of course, and after three consecutive defeats it wouldn’t be overly pessimistic to say they could catch them. Yet Unai Emery and his Villa team take on West Ham United on Sunday knowing that a win would leave them six points inside the probable Champions League spots.

This is the kind of opportunity Villa have thrown away over the years and certainly not something to take for granted, but there’s a worthwhile prize at stake when they face the Hammers at Villa Park.