Julen Lopetegui insisted that he will not "put limits on our dreams" ahead of West Ham's opening game of the Premier League season against Aston Villa.
Lopetegui, who is taking charge of his second team in England's top flight, has overseen several new arrivals at the London Stadium in the past few weeks.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug have all put pen to paper on deals with the Hammers, but the Spaniard knows that it will take more than just new faces to achieve their end goal.
"I don't put limits on our dreams. The only way you can achieve dreams is by working," Lopetegui said.
"We can talk about ambitions, but the most important thing is to work hard every day, especially on the bad days.
"We need to work with good energy and progress step by step."
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are gearing up for the new season along with their first Champions League campaign since 1983 following a fourth-placed finish last season.
They have also made additions, with Unai Emery welcoming eight new arrivals to bolster their squad after seeing injuries threaten to derail their campaign last year.
However, manager Unai Emery insisted that the Premier League remained a priority, calling for consistency as they aim to navigate a hectic fixture schedule.
"The first objective is 38 Premier League matches. Then, to play in the Champions League is really the way we want to be competitive," Emery said.
"To win a title through the Champions League, we could, but it would be very difficult.
"We’re not refusing this option, but we have to be competitive and consistent in the Premier League."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
West Ham – Crysencio Summerville
Last season's Championship Player of the Year, Summerville, will be hoping to hit the ground running in what will be his third crack at the Premier League.
The Dutchman was involved in 28 goals last season for Leeds (19 goals and nine assists excluding the play-offs), with only Southampton’s Adam Armstrong (34) and Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics (31) involved in more.
Aston Villa – Ollie Watkins
Off the back of his most prolific scoring season with Villa and a semi-final strike for England at Euro 2024, Ollie Watkins has been tipped to challenge for the Golden Boot this time around.
Watkins joined the Villans from Brentford, but has enjoyed a return to the capital since, scoring more times (13) in games played in London than any other Villa player.
He has 59 overall in the Premier League, behind only Gabriel Abgonlahor (74) and Dwight Yorke (60) for the West Midlands club.
MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN
West Ham just edge Opta's data-led simulations, handed a win percentage of 41.1% compared to Villa's 32.2%, with a draw given a 26.7% chance of happening.
But both sides have struggled on the opening day in recent years. The Hammers have lost on five of the six occasions they’ve begun a Premier League campaign against a side who finished in the previous season’s top four.
They have also won their opening Premier League match in just one of the last eight seasons (D1 L6), beating Newcastle 4-2 in 2021-22. Indeed, the Hammers have lost their opening game in the Premier League more often than any other side (15).
But they have fared better against Saturday's opponents in the head-to-head record. The Hammers have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games against Aston Villa (W6 D5), which came in a 4-1 loss at Villa Park last season.
Aston Villa have lost their opening Premier League match in each of the last three seasons, conceding 10 goals in those games. They also lost the last time they faced West Ham in their first game, falling to a 1-0 defeat at Upton Park in 2012-13.
Emery's side failed to win any of their last four Premier League games in 2023-24 (D2 L2), their longest run without a win under the Spaniard. The 52-year-old last had a longer run without a league win between May and September 2021 with Villarreal (D4 L1).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
West Ham – 41.1%
Draw – 26.7%
Aston Villa – 32.2%
Nottingham Forest welcome Paraguay international Sosa from Talleres
Nottingham Forest welcomed their seventh addition of the transfer window with the arrival of Paraguay international Ramon Sosa from Talleres.
Sosa, who grabbed a goal and an assist at this year's Copa America for Los Guaranies, has signed a five-year deal at the City Ground for a reported £11m transfer fee.
The 24-year-old scored six goals and added seven assists in all competitions for Talleres last season.
Sosa began his career in his native country where he won the Copa Paraguay with Olimpia in 2021 before moving to Argentinian side Gimnasia.
He contributed 13 goal contributions (six goals and seven assists) in his debut season with the club, which led to a move to Talleres.
Sosa registered 17 goals and 13 assists in 56 appearances for the Albiazul, impressing at the Copa America despite playing only 133 minutes of football at the tournament.
"Ramon has been coveted by many clubs but was so clear in his desire to join Nottingham Forest," said Ross Wilson, Forest's chief football officer.
"We could all feel his energy, emotion, pride and excitement to be here from the first minute he arrived.
"He can't wait to get started and we are delighted that he is here with us."
The signing follows Forest's recent deals to bring in Jota Silva, Elliot Anderson, Nikola Milenkovic, Eric da Silva Moreira, and Carlos Miguel.
Ugochukwu joins Southampton on season-long loan from Chelsea
Lesley Ugochukwu has completed a season-long loan move to Southampton from Chelsea.
Ugochukwu, who made 15 appearances in all competitions for the Blues last season, was not registered in time for the Saints' Premier League opener against Newcastle.
The 20-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge last year in a reported £23.2m deal from Rennes but missed 20 Premier League games as he struggled with a hamstring issue.
He was welcomed to St. Mary's on the same day Cameron Archer sealed a £15m permanent switch from Aston Villa, with the pair adding to Russell Martin's ranks.
The duo join 12 new faces on the South Coast, with the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Flynn Downes, Ben Brereton Diaz and Ronnie Edwards all signing in the window.
“It was a very easy decision, Ugochukwu said. "They just came back to Premier League.
"When I heard Southampton, when I spoke to the gaffer as well, I said, 'I have to come here.'
“I’m just here to work hard and give everything for the fans and for myself as well.”
Head coach Russell Martin added: “Lesley is a brilliant athlete who has all the ingredients to be a really top player in the future, and we want to help him achieve that.
"He combines his size and power with real composure in possession.
“He’s another young player we’ve brought in who has sampled the Premier League already, which is important, and someone we feel can help us in the midfield area with the physicality that he brings to the game.”
Postecoglou hails ‘top pro’ Solanke ahead of Spurs' season opener
Dominic Solanke is a “top pro” who is exactly what Tottenham expected when they paid big money to sign him from Bournemouth, so says Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs splurged a club-record fee – reportedly up to £65million – on Solanke, who scored 19 Premier League goals for the Cherries last season.
Solanke could be in line to make his Tottenham debut on Monday, when Spurs open their Premier League campaign away at newly promoted Leicester City.
And Postecoglou spoke highly of his new addition.
"Thankfully, it's what we expected,” said the Australian.
“He's a top pro and a good guy – he's settled into the dressing room really well.
“Football-wise you can see he has all the attributes we need. We've still got a couple of training sessions to go but he's doing well.”
While Postecoglou confirmed Spurs will have a full squad to choose from, bar the suspended Yves Bissouma, at the King Power Stadium, hosts Leicester are not as fortunate.
Steve Cooper, who is preparing for his first league match in charge of the Foxes, confirmed Patson Daka was set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering an injury against Lens in pre-season, with the striker set for a long spell out.
“Patson [Daka] obviously is not great news,” Cooper said. “He suffered quite a serious ankle injury last week in the game in Lens and he is going to be out for a good few months.
“He’s having an operation. That’s really unfortunate for him because he was looking good in pre-season.”
Jamie Vardy is also absent.
Cooper, whose last Premier League game was a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham in December last year with Nottingham Forest, added: “Vards, similarly, he’s been injured since the second week of pre-season now, when we were on one of our pre-season camps.
"He’s closer to returning but it will be a little while, although he’s itching to get back. But it’s not great at that end of the pitch.
“He’s right at the latter stages of rehab now and just making sure he can fight past those final stages before he returns. With experience and age a little bit, he really understands his body and he knows what it takes.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Leicester City – Stephy Mavididi
Mavididi scored 12 league goals for Leicester in their push for promotion last term, a tally bettered only by Vardy (18). The winger created 72 chances, providing six assists. Only Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has since joined Chelsea, crafted more goalscoring opportunities (109) for the Foxes.
Tottenham – Son Heung-min
Son has been involved in 13 goals in 14 Premier League appearances against Leicester (nine goals, four assists), only having a hand in more against Southampton (15). Indeed, the South Korean has scored five and assisted once in his last three against the Foxes.
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
Leicester have lost half of their Premier League games played on Mondays (21/42) – only in Friday games do the Foxes have a higher loss rate in the competition (61.5% – 8/13).
Tottenham’s last four Premier League wins of 2023-24 came against each of the sides to finish in the bottom four (Forest, Luton Town, Burnley, Sheffield United). They won all six of their league games against promoted sides last term, accounting for 30% of their overall victories (6/20).
This is the seventh time Tottenham are starting their Premier League campaign against a promoted side; they have won five of the previous six, losing the other 1-0 against Sunderland in 2007-08.
However, Leicester are unbeaten on the last nine occasions they have begun their league campaign with a home game (W6 D3).
Expect goals in this one. Of all Premier League fixtures to have been played at least 30 times, Leicester against Tottenham has the highest goals-per-game average (3.8 – 128 goals in 34 games). There have been 28 goals scored in the last five meetings between the sides alone (5.6 per game).
Spurs have only failed to score in one of their 17 Premier League away games against Leicester, a 3-0 loss at Filbert Street in September 1997.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Leicester City – 26.5%
Tottenham – 49.9%
Draw – 23.6%
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