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Premier League Preview: West Ham v Aston Villa

SoccerNews in English Premier League 31 Oct 2013

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West Ham will be eager to turn around their poor home form when they face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

Sam Allardyce’s side have lost their last three top-flight games at Upton Park and their solitary home win in the Premier League came against Cardiff on the opening day of the season.

The London club are 15th in the table, just a point better off than third-bottom Norwich, and Allardyce will leave no stone unturned in order to end their wait for home success.

He said: “We play Aston Villa and there’s only one thing on the players’ minds and that’s to win the football match.

“We always set out how they should win it. They never get a piece of detail which is extra to the fact that they know exactly what they’ve got to do to beat them, because we give them the lot.

“They know how to expose their weaknesses, they know how to nullify their strengths, we can talk about systems all day long but it means nothing unless the individual plays to his best.

“I can pick any system I want but if the players don’t play well the system will fail. If the individuals play well in that system then the system works. As always we continue to tell the players they must convert their chances.”

Allardyce revealed that striker Carlton Cole is not fit enough to be considered for a start and midfielder Matt Taylor is ruled out after injuring his calf in the League Cup win at Burnley on Tuesday night.

Centre-back James Tomkins should be fit despite also picking up an injury at Turf Moor, but Andy Carroll (heel), Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder) James Collins (hamstring), Alou Diarra and George McCartney (both knee) are all sidelined.

Villa are also in need for a win as they are just a point better off than West Ham.

Paul Lambert’s side have lost their last two matches and failed to score in their last three ahead of the trip to the capital.

Striker Gabriel Agbonlahor is a doubt after suffering a recurrence of an ankle injury in the defeat against Everton last weekend, while Charles N’Zogbia (Achilles) and Jores Okore (knee) are long-term absentees.

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