TEAM NEWS

Aston Villa captain Micah Richards is expected to miss a fourth consecutive game because of a knee injury.

Full-backs Joe Bennett and Aly Cissokho have both been recalled from loan spells but will not be eligible to play until January.

West Ham's Andy Carroll could return from a thigh problem but the game comes too soon for Manuel Lanzini, who is recovering from a similar injury.

Diafra Sakho, Victor Moses, Winston Reid and Dimitri Payet are still out.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Simon Brotherton: "There hasn't been much for Villa fans to cheer about this season, but at least their team looked capable of putting up a bit of a fight in the second half at Newcastle last weekend.

"That's a start and on recent evidence was far from a guarantee. A point wasn't bad but with the ever widening gap to safety, clearly not enough.

"They need a couple of wins at least just to instil some belief and a measure of hope.

"West Ham have no such worries, but haven't won in the league for two months now themselves and, for the first time in their history, have drawn each of the last three games 0-0."

Twitter: @SimonBrotherton 

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Aston Villa manager Remi Garde: "I think we need at least 10 victories. Step by step we need to concentrate on the first win, then the second.

"We need to start [winning] very quickly that is for sure."

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "I saw their [Villa's] last few games... I have seen the energy, seen their quality and they are fighting for their lives.

"They have confidence now because they have one point from an away game. They are at home against us and they look forward to that game.

"So, make no mistake, I am not expecting anything easier than against Swansea, Stoke or Manchester United. They have some quality players who can harm you."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

I would never normally say before Christmas that a team will be relegated - but I think Aston Villa will be relegated.

West Ham have not got many goals in them but look sound defensively - illustrated by three consecutive 0-0 draws.

Lawro's full predictions v SAM the super-computer

• Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in our Predictor game.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• West Ham have won just one of their last eight games at Villa Park (D2, L5).
• Villa have kept clean sheets in five of those eight matches.

Aston Villa

• Only three of the previous 23 sides who were bottom of the Premier League on Christmas Day have avoided relegation. However, the last two - Leicester in 2014 and Sunderland in 2013 - did both survive.
• Villa are bottom of the top division at Christmas for only the third time in their history, after 1935-36 and 1958-59. They ended up being relegated on both of those previous occasions.
• The Villans are enduring two unwanted club league records: 16 matches without a win, and nine home matches without a victory since beating West Ham in May.
• They have kept just two Premier League clean sheets this season - only Norwich, with one, have a worse record.
• Aston Villa have won just one of their last 14 Premier League games played on Boxing Day (D4, L9) and have failed to score in the last four.

West Ham United

• West Ham have drawn three successive league games 0-0 for the first time in their history.
• The Hammers have shared the points in their last four matches.
• They have averaged 0.4 goals per game since Dimitri Payet was injured - compared to 1.9 goals per game in their opening 12 Premier League matches (all of which Payet started).