Mark Lawrenson has noted in a column for BBC Sport that David Moyes can ‘do no wrong’, but expects Aston Villa will give the West Ham United manager a tough fixture on Sunday.
Moyes will oversee his 999th match in the dugout when the Hammers visit Villa Park this weekend. West Ham are flying in the Premier League so far this season to sit fourth after nine games. The Irons have also scored the fourth-most, with 16 goals from eight players.
West Ham’s results have flowed into the cup competitions, too, after eliminating holders Manchester City from the Carabao Cup. They are also unbeaten with three wins from three in the Europa League group stage, scoring seven without any reply.
Aston Villa will hope to put a dent in West Ham’s momentum after losing their last three Premier League games. Lawrenson expects Dean Smith to spark a better performance from the Birmingham outfit, too, after struggling at Arsenal last week.
“West Ham boss David Moyes can do no wrong at the moment,” Lawrenson said. “Beating Spurs last weekend and then knocking holders Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup in midweek. Moyes might not get things all his own way on Sunday, though.
“I am expecting a much better performance from Aston Villa than we saw from them against Arsenal last week. Put it this way, they need one.
“This is Moyes’ 999th game as a manager. I’ve known him a long time and he is doing a top job. When he gets to 1,000, he might even buy me a drink. But then again, why would he change the habit of a lifetime?”
Can Moyes do any wrong at West Ham?
Moyes has enjoyed a fantastic spell at West Ham since returning to the club in December 2019, replacing Manuel Pellegrini. He has overseen 78 games in that period, winning 38 and guiding the Hammers into Europe last season.
The £85k-a-week Irons boss has also enjoyed success in the transfer market. Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen, Vladimir Coufal, Craig Dawson and Said Benrahma have proven their worth in claret-and-blue.
Kurt Zouma has also had a big impact since his £30m move from Chelsea in the summer. Adding depth and quality at the London Stadium to pull clear of the relegation zone that Moyes adopted West Ham in when he returned to the Hammers helm two-years ago.
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