Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has warned his players to beware a wounded West Ham at Upton Park on Wednesday night.

Villa travel to East London knowing that a win would move them up to fourth in the table. They are facing a West Ham side whose solitary Premier League victory came on the opening day of the season when they beat Wolves.

They have lost five of their subsequent nine games to lie second from bottom - and threw away a two goal lead to draw 2-2 at Sunderland last weekend. But O'Neill has seen more than enough of Gianfranco Zola's side this season to recognise they will be a real threat to his team.

He watched them numerous times when he made his move to sign central defender James Collins, who will return to Upton Park at the heart of the Villa backline.

O'Neil said: "I would think they should have more points on the board but I thought their fight-back against Arsenal was fantastic.

"So back at Upton Park I would expect them to be a really tough test."