Aston Villa are ready to get the 2024/25 Premier League season underway as Unai Emery takes his side to face West Ham on Saturday evening.
Unai Emery will be keen to put a difficult Aston Villa pre-season behind him, with the Villans losing all three of their matches in the United States and four of their last five friendlies of the summer.
If there is a time to lose games then it is pre-season and Villa fans will be confident in Emery’s ability to get his side back to form for the start of the new campaign.
That kicks off with a tough game against West Ham, where fans will hope to see a number of their summer signings get their first bit of competitive action for the club.
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After last season’s heroics, Villa will compete in the Champions League this season and Emery has his work cut out to ensure his side can compete on all fronts.
Paul Merson makes ‘long season’ claim for Aston Villa following Champions League qualification
It will be fascinating to see how Villa cope with their first foray into Europe’s elite club competition since the 1982/83 season.
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Eight first-team players have arrived this summer to help with that challenge, but the departures of Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby are not ideal.
Paul Merson has been looking ahead to the new Premier League season by previewing the opening weekend’s fixtures for Sportskeeda.
The former Villa midfielder is also intrigued to see how Villa adapt to Champions League football, saying: “If you’re City, Arsenal or Liverpool and you take four out of six points off Aston Villa, that’s a bonus. Those are points gained on your competitors.
“They’re a difficult team to beat but they’re in the Champions League.
“This will be a long season for them and they’re not used to it. Some of their players have not played in Europe at all.”
Merson did caveat this by talking up Emery, saying: “Aston Villa have a very good manager, however, and that will make a difference.”
Merson predicts Aston Villa to start season with draw against West Ham
Similarly to Villa, West Ham have had a busy summer.
That started with Julen Lopetegui replacing David Moyes as manager, before the club also welcomed eight new faces.
They have made some really impressive signings, too, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crysencio Summerville and Jean-Clair Todibo all arriving.
Niclas Fullkrug has also signed after a season in which he played in the Borussia Dortmund side that reached the Champions League final alongside Villa new-boy Ian Maatsen.
It should be an exciting match-up between the two sides who play in claret and blue, with Merson predicting a 1-1 draw.
The pundit said: “This is a difficult game for both teams. West Ham have bought well but their players will have to gel well together. A draw will be a good result for both sides this weekend.”
Emery will be keen to get the season started with a win, but most Villa fans would likely take a point from a tight away fixture.
