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The 0-1 home defeat by Everton meant three losses on the spin, three woeful performances and another FOUR matches in quick succession that could ALL be potential Hammer Horror Shows and not the best of ways to start November, but it is probably more than apt for Halloween!

A young Hammers fan, a girl who was probably seven years old, bedecked in her newly acquired Betway shirt seemed to know a lot more than David Moyes appears to do by saying "don't pass it to Antonio" with only FIVE minutes gone in the game against Everton and she was right!

West Ham: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus, Antonio. Subs: Fabianski, Fornals, Mavropanos, Cornet, Ings, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Kehrer, Soucek.

Everton: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Garner, Doucoure, McNeil, Onana, Harrison, Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Virginia, Keane, Danjuma, Beto, Godfrey, Gueye, Chermiti, Hunt, Dobbin

Image Samuel Regan-Asante

Football, often referred to as a beautiful game, is a sport filled with passion, dedication, and history. Clubs rise and fall, players come and go, but the spirit of the game remains. For those looking to bet on your favorite sport, football, naturally, offers ample opportunities.

Was it complacency or sheer blindness that led David Moyes to select Danny Ings as a starter against Olympiacos? Whatever the reasoning for the 'cunning' plan was, it failed miserably! Why on earth Moyes didn't hook the out of sorts Ings at half time is beyond most fans comprehension.

Olympiacos:Paschalakis, Rodinei, Porozo, Retsos, Ortega, Alexandropoulous, Camara, Hezze, Podence, El Kaabi, Fortounis. (C) Subs: Tzolakis (GK), Papadoudis (GK), Scarpa, El-Arabi, Vrousai, Quini, Masouras, João Carvalho, Pep Biel, Jovetić, Solbakken

West Ham: Areola, Kehrer, Mavropanos, Ogbonna (C), Emerson, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Benrahma, Kudus, Fornals, Ings. Subs: Anang (GK), Cresswell, Johnson, Zouma, Aguerd, Alvarez, Cornet, Paqueta, Bowen, Antonio, Mubama

As he prepares to take his team into the anticipated Olympiacos cauldron, David Moyes took time to pay homage to Bill Kenwright.

"It’s incredibly sad news about Bill Kenwright. He was a wonderful man.

He gave me a big opportunity in my career. He took me when I was a young manager in a lower league and gave me a job in the Premier League. He was brilliantly supportive. I couldn’t have had a better Chairman as a young coach.

Playing Olympiacos just a few days after getting 'Tempurad' by Villa can be seen as a chance of a quick redemption, or as a further drain on what looked like a 'leggy' 1st team, or a chance for David Moyes to implement a plan 'B' that might form part of his future plan 'A'!

Unfortunately Emerson is banned for the next domestic home game against Everton on Sunday, so he will definitely feature against the Greek giants (literally). Dino, or Stan the Man Mavropanos, whichever moniker you like to give him will surely start given his Greeky descendancy.

Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Luiz, McGinn (c), Diaby, Watkins, Zaniolo. Subs: Olsen, Carlos, Tielemans, Traore, Chambers, Lenglet, Bailey, Dendoncker, Kellyman.
West Ham: Areola, Coufal, Zouma (c), Aguerd, Emerson, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Bowen, Antonio, Paqueta. Subs: Fabianski, Fornals, Kudus, Mavropanos, Ings, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Kehrer, Mubama.

Premier League football returns after the international break and West Ham return to action with a tough trip to Villa Park to face Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.

The Hammers have enjoyed a solid start to the 2023/24 campaign having won four and lost just two of their eight Premier League games so far. A 3-1 victory over Chelsea has been a particular highlight while David Moyes’ men have also picked up impressive wins over Brighton, Luton and Sheffield
United.

Sunday's 'six pointer' away to Aston Villa heralds Hammers 'frenzied' seven games in 21 days schedule ahead of the next ludicrous International break. While a game once every three days might seem a little extreme to some fans, they should remember what it is like to be in football's nether regions of watching on while their competitors 'Lord it up' in Europe and in the domestic cups, not forgetting the Premier League as well.