West Ham return to the London Stadium on Sunday after back to back away draws that yielded two valuable points but did little to ease their league position.

Where to watch: The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports TV Channel. Kick off time is at 2.30PM. Commenatry will be available on Talksport Radio.

One all stalemates against Brighton and Manchester United have left the Hammers inside the Premier League bottom three as they approach matchday sixteen.

Standing in their way are an Aston Villa side firmly entrenched in the title race. The visitors arrive in east London full of confidence after a statement 2-1 home victory over leaders Arsenal last weekend, which was followed by another win over Basel in the Europa League on Thursday.

Unai Emery’s side now turn their attention back to domestic matters against a West Ham team that has gone four Premier League matches without a win and is increasingly embroiled in a relegation battle. It has been the club’s worst start to a top flight campaign since the 2017-18 season, with just 13 points collected from 15 games.

Despite those struggles, history offers West Ham some encouragement. In three previous seasons where they had 13 or fewer points at this stage, they avoided relegation, finishing 13th in 2013-14, 11th in 2016-17 and 13th again in 2017-18.

Recent performances have at least shown resilience, with three draws in their last four league outings, including surrendering a two goal lead to draw with Bournemouth, a late equaliser at Manchester United and a stoppage time concession at Brighton.

However, the inability to turn draws into wins continues to be a major concern and explains why the Hammers remain in the relegation zone. Avoiding defeat has been progress, but it has not been enough to lift them clear of danger.

The challenge does not get any easier with the visit of a Villa side chasing a ninth successive win in all competitions. Emery’s team have already won three consecutive away matches, beating Leeds United, Brighton and Basel, and they are unbeaten in their last three trips to the London Stadium.

Villa’s recent form has propelled them into third place in the table, just three points behind Arsenal at the summit. They have now won eight games in a row across all competitions, including their last five in the Premier League, after a slow start to the season.

West Ham will also be mindful of their recent record against Sunday’s opponents. The Irons have failed to win any of their last six meetings with Aston Villa, drawing three and losing three, and may need to look elsewhere for points as they attempt to climb out of the bottom three