West Ham will face Aston Villa at the London Stadium on Saturday, marking a showdown between two of the summer’s highest-spending clubs. Following David Moyes’ departure, new West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has significantly revamped the squad, bringing in eight key players, including Argentina’s World Cup winner Guido Rodríguez and German striker Niclas Füllkrug. With over £120 million invested in player acquisitions, the West Ham management is eager to replicate Villa’s success from last season, where they finished fourth and secured a Champions League spot.
Aston Villa, under the guidance of Unai Emery, has also heavily invested, spending over £150 million on new signings like Everton’s Amadou Onana and Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen. However, the team may struggle to replicate their previous performance due to the loss of pivotal players Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby.
The match is scheduled for Saturday, August 17, with kickoff at 5:30 p.m. BST, 12:30 p.m. ET, and 9:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, while it will be 2:30 a.m. AEST on Sunday in Australia.
Viewers in the US can watch the game on USA Network through cable subscriptions or streaming services like Sling TV. In the UK, it will be available exclusively on Sky Sports, while Canadian fans can catch the action on Fubo Canada. Australian viewers can enjoy the match on Optus Sport, which holds exclusive rights to all Premier League fixtures this season.