Julen Lopetegui will name his first competitive West Ham starting XI for the Premier League season opener against Aston Villa on Saturday.
The opening game of West Ham’s Premier League season is now upon us and excitement levels are building.
West Ham’s opening game clash with Aston Villa pits two of the most active sides in the summer transfer window against one another.
There have been Nearly 20 signings made between the Hammers and Aston Villa.
So supporters can expect a box of frogs as two sets of relative strangers in the Hammers and Villa squads try to get to know each other and gel as quickly as possible.
West Ham also have a new boss in Julen Lopetegui and he faces a difficult task of integrating new players while trying to change the style and philosophy.
Expect a box of frogs from active Hammers and Villa
Champions League Aston Villa are a tough ask in those circumstances.
But Unai Emery’s side have similar issues and – much like West Ham – Aston Villa have been far from impressive in pre-season.
The defending on display from the Hammers in pre-season has been nothing short of comical at times.
It has been a worrying continuation of last season’s rear guard action, which saw the Irons concede a Premier League club record 74 goals.
That is why Lopetegui has overhauled the club’s defence with three big signings – Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
It will be interesting to see how Lopetegui plays things in the opening game.
Does he give some of the players who places are at threat from the new signings a chance to keep the shirt?
Lopetegui makes five changes for Villa as five new boys start?
Or will he throw in as many of the new boys as possible in a bid to get his first choice side playing together from the off?
We predict Lopetegui makes five West Ham changes for Aston Villa as five new boys start.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has only trained once since arriving according to Lopetegui in his pre-match press conference. But he’s ready to go in terms of fitness levels.
Todibo has only trained with his new teammates having signed last Saturday – but he had been involved in a full pre-season with Nice prior to that. The same for Wan-Bissaka at Man United.
Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville are also ready to go. Guido Rodriguez is behind in his pre-season preparations, though, so it’s unclear whether he will come straight in.
Alphonse Areola is the undisputed number one so will start in goal.
We think Lopetegui has already seen enough from the defence which started against Celta Vigo.
And he will bring Wan-Bissaka and Todibo in from the start in place of Vladimir Coufal and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
James Ward-Prowse will replace Tomas Soucek in change three while Crysencio Summerville comes in for Rodriguez in change four.
He will play on the left with Lucas Paqueta more central alongside Ward-Prowse.
The fifth change will see Niclas Fullkrug come in up front in place of Michail Antonio.
Predicted West Ham starting XI to face Aston Villa:
Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Tobido, Kilman, Emerson, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Kudus, Bowen, Summerville, Fullkrug.
The official team will be announced at 4.15pm – 15 minutes earlier than previously due to new Premier League media arrangements introduced this season.