Roy Keane is predicting a winning start to the Premier League season for Aston Villa.
Unai Emery’s men will have a target on their heads this time around after finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League last season.
The Villans open their 2024/25 campaign with a difficult away trip to West Ham United, who have been busy strengthening their squad under new manager Julen Lopetegui this summer.
That fixture comes off the back of a lacklustre pre-season in which Villa have lost four of their seven friendlies, falling to Columbus Crew (4-1), RB Leipzig (2-0), Club America (1-0) and Borussia Dortmund (2-0), with wins over Walsall (3-0), Spartak Trnava (3-0) and Athletic Club (3-2) in between.
11 goals conceded in their last five friendlies have left many Villa fans worrying about the state of their defence heading into the new campaign.
Roy Keane makes West Ham vs Aston Villa prediction
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Ian Wright and Jill Scott predicted a 3-2 defeat for Emery’s men at the London Stadium. However, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has a very different opinion.
“They (Ian Wright and Jill Scott) want to go 3-2 (to West Ham), but I am not with them on this one,” said Keane. “Villa are getting a result there.”
Villa are currently on a three-match unbeaten run against West Ham, with a 4-1 victory last October coming between consecutive 1-1 draws at the London Stadium.
However, their 5-1 humbling against Newcastle United last year will prove as an important reminder of how badly things can go wrong on the opening day if there are any pre-season cobwebs still hanging around.
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