David Moyes engineered a Europa Conference League triumph at West Ham and then steered the team to a top-half finish in the Premier League last term. However, the Scot has now departed and it’s Julen Lopetegui who is now tasked with making the club successful, having previously performed well with Wolves before leaving due to financial constraints.
The Hammers did some early business when signing Luis Guilherme and the eighteen-year-old could be an exciting one to watch after arriving from Palmeiras for roughly £25 million. Perhaps he will compliment Jarrod Bowen who continues to be an important player for a team who also boast Lucas Paqueta in the midfield engine room.
However, Aston Villa were sixteen points better off than their opponents in last season’s standings, with Unai Emery steering the Midlands side to fourth place. They achieved eight victories on the road last term, with Ollie Watkins having managed to score nineteen goals in total and the England forward could be on for a bigger total this term.
The Villans began their summer spending by landing Lewis Dobbin from Everton, with more faces set to follow as Emery looks to bolster a squad that will be competing in the Champions League as well as Premier League. They will look to achieve a positive result at the London Stadium to kick off their campaign.