David Moyes is expecting a very tough game at Villa Park this afternoon he has confided to his backroom staff.

Aston Villa will be no walkover this afternoon with the West Ham manager believing the Clarets have been unlucky with their results in recent games.

In October they have lost narrowly to Spurs, Arsenal and Wolves but beat Manchester United and Everton in September.

Aston Villa can be dangerous and direct on the counterattack and the Hammers cannot be complacent after recent back to back wins.

Villa manager Dean Smith says his football philosophy is built around the idea of retaining possession. Once the ball is lost, he wants his players to scramble to win it back. Tough pressing is strengthened by players looking to cut out passing avenues for the opposition. Overall, Smith’s teams like Moyes look to be the more hard-working team on any given day. Furthermore, Smith, like many fellow Premier League managers, is obsessed with details. His careful planning and scouting are partly to account for Villa’s change of fortunes last season.