By Conor Hogan

West Ham have earned nine points from their last six games – an impressive run since the start of November. 

The Hammers, who have lost only one of their last six league matches, face four more fixtures in 2025, starting with Aston Villa at London Stadium on Sunday. Unai Emery’s side have been in excellent form recently, becoming the first team to beat Arsenal this season last weekend.

However, they face Basel in Switzerland midweek before making the trip to London Stadium to take on the Irons. Hammers boss Nuno Espírito Santo will be hoping the Villa players are fatigued following their European exploits, but given the depth of Emery’s squad, West Ham’s opponents may not feel the effects of midweek competition. A point against the league’s current third-placed side would prove valuable to the Hammers on Sunday.

Following that game, West Ham face another tough test as they play Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, a ground where the Irons have rarely enjoyed success. The Hammers will be without El Hadji Malick Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka because of AFCON commitments, and given City’s quality, even a point against Pep Guardiola’s side appears a pipe dream.

The loss of the Hammers’ full-back duo will be a major hindrance to Nuno’s side. Kyle Walker-Peters has impressed this season and will provide adequate cover for Wan-Bissaka, but given Ollie Scarles’ injury in October, West Ham may struggle in Diouf’s absence.

On December 27, West Ham are at home to Fulham, a side that has quietly endured a difficult season. Despite the AFCON absences, this is a fixture the Irons should be aiming to win. West Ham have beaten Marco Silva’s side in two of the last three home meetings between the clubs, so they should feel confident going into this festive fixture.

Finally, Nuno’s side will seek revenge on a Brighton team that snatched a last-minute draw against them last Sunday when the sides meet again on December 30 in Stratford. If the Hammers perform as they did at the Amex Stadium last weekend, they have every chance of earning only their second-ever Premier League win against the Seagulls.

A tough run of fixtures awaits West Ham this month, but given how well Nuno’s side have performed in recent weeks, Hammers fans should remain confident that more valuable points can be picked up before the end of 2025.

With Villa, City, Fulham and Brighton coming up before the New Year. I think Nuno and his team should be aiming for at the very least 6 points with those two wins likely coming from the games at home to both Fulham and Brighton. But who knows, maybe we can surprise Villa this weekend.