ASTON VILLA vs WEST HAM - MATCH PREVIEW

By Ryan Ghee
January 13 2006

Aston Villa will host West Ham at Villa Park tomorrow as they hope to continue their impressive run of form recently which has seen them unbeaten in their last five matches.

Aston Villa team news: Milan Baros is available after serving his one-match suspenson against Hull City but Gareth Barry will miss out as he has picked up five yellow cards. Jlloyd Samuel should replace Barry at left-back and Eirik Bakke is expected to start in midfield after missing the FA Cup tie due to the terms of his loan deal.

West Ham team news: New signing Yaniv Katan could make his Premiership debut for the Hammers but fellow Israeli Yossi Benayoun will require a late fitness test on a thigh injury. Anton Ferdinand and Roy Carroll should return to the starting eleven but Teddy Sheringham is still sidelined with a calf problem.

History of this fixture: Aston Villa have beaten West Ham in 31 of their 91 encounters, with the Hammers winning 35 and the remaining 25 ending in a draw. The last time the two teams met was at the start of the season when West Ham embarrassed Villa with a 4-0 thrashing.