New West Ham United manager Graham Potter will oversee his first match in charge on Friday, as the Irons travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round.
The inevitable was finally formalized this week after Julen Lopetegui was sacked after an extremely disappointing start to the season. The Spaniard was quickly replaced by former Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion coach Potterwho has been unemployed since April 2023.
West Ham have confirmed that Potter will be in charge of Friday's trip to the Midlands in the FA Cup and it will be a tough task on his Hammers debut. The capital side have conceded nine goals in their last two matches and lost a Premier League encounter with Villa in Lopetegui's first competitive match in August.
Villa's form has not been flawless in recent weeks, but they prevailed in the 2025 clash against struggling Leicester City. Leon Bailey's winner ended a two-game winless run It raised Unai Emery's team to eighth place in the English Premier League table.
here 90 minutes A guide to all Premier League affairs FA Cup Third round.
Aston Villa vs West Ham H2H record (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
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Aston Villa |
West Ham |
|---|---|
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Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester – 04/01/25 |
Man City 4-1 West Ham – 04/01/25 |
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Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton – 30/12/24 |
West Ham 0-5 Liverpool – 12/29/24 |
|
Newcastle 3-0 Aston Villa – 12/26/24 |
Southampton 0-1 West Ham – 12/26/24 |
|
Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City – 12/21/24 |
West Ham 1-1 Brighton – 12/21/24 |
|
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Aston Villa – 12/14/24 |
Bournemouth 1-1 West Ham – 12/16/24 |
|
nation |
TV Channel/Live Broadcast |
|---|---|
|
UK |
ITV 1, ITVX, STV, STV Player, UTV |
|
US |
ESPN+, the ESPN app |
|
Canada |
Sportsnet World Now, Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet World, Sportsnet Now Plus |
villa He will be without the services of John McGinn on Friday evening, with the influential midfielder currently sidelined due to a hamstring injury sustained Against Leicester Last time out.
The Villans find themselves slightly short on the centre-back position as well. Pau Torres is missing his foot infection He was named in last year's final, while Diego Carlos, who was linked with an exit in January, is doubtful to feature.
John Doran serves his final game Suspended for three matches for a red card He suffered his last defeat against Newcastle United in the English Premier League. In even better news, Morgan Rogers returns from his one-game suspension.
The FA Cup third round usually brings sweeping changes to Premier League teams and Villa could use this opportunity to give some players a rest. However, they cannot afford to make too many adjustments against top-flight opponents.
Aston Villa expected lineup against West Ham (4-2-3-1): Martinez. Boogaard, Konsa, Mings, Matsen; See, Telemans; Bailey, Buendia, Rogers; Watkins.
Potter would choose his first West Ham The lineup starts on Friday and is unlikely to make many changes to the familiar set-up. However, the Englishman has several injuries that limit his selection.
Jarrod Bowen is the most notable absentee for the Hammers, as the active winger suffered a broken foot during the match 5-0 defeat to Liverpool. He joins fellow striker Michail Antonio in the treatment room, where the Jamaican international recovers from a broken leg sustained in an injury. Car accident.
Lukasz Fabianski has missed recent matches with a head injury and will miss again on Friday, meaning Alphonse Areola will start between the sticks. Emerson missed the defeat to Manchester City last time out and remains a doubt for Friday, while Jean-Clair Todibo was withdrawn due to injury at the Etihad Stadium and may not be available.
West Ham expected lineup to face Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Aura. Couval, Mavropanos, Kelman, Wan-Bissaka; Soucek, Alvarez; Kudos, Paquita, Summerville; Volkrug.
Potter will have a very limited amount of interaction with his new team ahead of Friday's game and major improvements are unlikely to come at Villa Park. It could be an educational encounter for a 49-year-old, even in Possible defeat.
Villa have a strong home record this season and are unlikely to field a completely changed squad for the visit of West Ham. If Emery selects a strong XI, the Midlands side will have little trouble getting through Friday's game and securing their place in Round 4.
