Some early news from the King Power Stadium, and it's not good for Villa fans. Leicester, a point behind Tim Sherwood's side at the start of play, lead Southampton 1-0 with a goal from Riyad Mahrez.

Villa looking lively. Jack Grealish breaks down the left after Mark Noble gives the ball away and wins a corner, from which Charles N'Zogbia has a stab at goal which is blocked. The home side are on top early on.

The energetic Jack Grealish wins a free-kick as he is brought down by Mark Noble around 30 yards from goal...

Leandro Bacuna takes the responsibility. It's a decent effort, but it floats over and wide.

Nice early move down the left by Villa, but Kieran Richardson plays in a poor cross from the left, and Kevin Nolan clears comfortably.

For those Aston Villa fans trying to keep an eye on what is going on elsewhere this afternoon, you're in luck.

BBC Sport now offers a separate live page on each Premier League game, so you can keep abreast of happenings elsewhere.

Click on the link below for each game.

Hull v Burnley (15:00 BST)

Leicester v Southampton (15:00 BST)

Newcastle v West Brom (15:00 BST)

Stoke v Tottenham (15:00 BST)

Away we go.

Simon Brotherton
Match of the Day commentator

"Aston Villa have looked like a completely different team in the last few weeks, such has been the improvement so far under Tim Sherwood. It's hard to believe it's the same group of players who laboured for so long under the previous regime.

"They've played well and, after struggling in front of goal for most of the season, have scored 17 times in the last 10 games. So positivity is in the air in B6 and there's the FA Cup final to come but Villa are still only a point above the relegation zone.

"West Ham's season started brightly, leading to talk of challenging for a European place, but that seems a long time ago now.

"It's five months since they won back-to-back games in the league, and last week's narrow win over Burnley was only their third victory in 18 matches."

The players are in the tunnel. West Ham captain Kevin Nolan embraces Villa keeper Shay Given, before taking a swig from a bottle of water.

Now they emerge on to the field...

Ross, Kent: I wouldn't be surprised if West Ham beat Villa today, Tim Sherwood had a bad record vs them last season as Spurs manager.

Now, I don't want to have to write this text commentary on my own because, to be quite frank, I'd like to watch a bit of the game too.

So I'd like you to chip in with your thoughts. Would a Europa League place for West Ham via the fair play route be an honour or a hindrance? Will Benteke's goals keep Villa up? Who should David Cameron be cheering for?

Thoughts, please, via Twitter (#bbcfootball),, external text on 81111, or via the BBC Sport Facebook, external or Google+, external pages. I thank you.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce on the prospect of a fair play route into Europe: "We've known for a few weeks. We've been planning the two scenarios.

We'll know by the end of the season if we've clinched that place. If we do, it'll be an honour for the club.

"We don't talk about the disciplinary angle with the players. You can't take the physicality out of the game. But we do talk about being responsible.

"Keeping 11 men on the pitch is very important, as is competing against a Villa side who need the points."

Image source, Andy Cryer

How do you fancy some trips round Europe next season then, Hammers fans?

West Ham, Everton or Burnley could play in next season's Europa League after the Premier League was granted an extra place because of fair play.

England finished second in Uefa's Fair Play table, earning an extra spot in the first qualifying round. That place will go to the team that tops the Premier League's fair play rankings, which is currently Liverpool.

The Reds could reach Europe via their league placing so the second, third or fifth-placed teams could join them.

Above is the Fair Play table as it stood before today's games. Everton picked up two bookings against Sunderland - Seamus Coleman and Luke Garbutt. We'll see how that affects the numbers...

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "I think Villa are defensively a little weak, and they have conceded goals in recent games. But Christian Benteke is in great form.

"We had 28 attempts on goal against Burnley last week and only scored one penalty. We need to be more clinical."

Indeed. Big Sam's side may be seeking a third straight clean sheet, but Mark Noble's penalty against Burnley is the only goal they have scored in three matches.

And yet, they are on course for a place in Europe...

Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood on the decision to start with Gabby Agbonlahor on the bench: "The team's been playing really well, so they deserve to keep the shirt. It's up to the other boys to get it off them. Gabby's had a week's training and he's ready to cause mayhem.

"The players know we're in a serious situation. They don't need reminding, although I've reminded them."

Let's bring you the team news. Gabby Agbonlahor is fit after almost a month out with a hamstring injury, but is only on the bench as manager Tim Sherwood names the same Aston Villa starting line-up who beat Everton last Saturday.

James Collins has passed a fitness test on a back problem, and so retains his place at centre-back alongside 18-year-old Reece Burke in a West Ham side who are also unchanged.

Aston Villa XI: Given; Bacuna, Vlaar, Okore, Richardson; Cleverley, Westwood, Delph; N'Zogbia, Grealish; Benteke.

West Ham XI: Adrian; Jenkinson, Collins, Burke, Cresswell; Noble, Kouyate; Downing, Nolan, Amalfitano; Valencia.

Villa still have much work to do to stay up - especially with relegation rivals Sunderland winning 2-0 at Everton in the 12:45 BST kick-off.

That win moves Dick Advocaat's side out of the bottom three to 14th place. Villa drop back into the bottom six.

Image source, AFP

Like Cameron, Aston Villa are enjoying something of a late surge after their Premier League future had been looking decidedly uncertain.

Six points from the last nine available have lifted Tim Sherwood's side clear of the bottom three, while there's also an FA Cup final appearance to look forward to after last month's semi-final win over Liverpool.

But with just three league matches left before the final results come in, Villa are far from safe.

"David Cameron's claims to have supported West Ham might have been a crucial factor in winning the election," a reporter suggested to West Ham manager Sam Allardyce at a press conference yesterday.

"Does this mean that, having won the World Cup in 1966, West Ham can now claim to have won the General Election?"

Allardyce laughed. "Good question," he replied. "Who knows? Wait and see."

David Cameron is settling in to a second term as Prime Minister after winning an overall majority of 12 seats in Thursday's General Election - and it would seem that a football-related slip of the tongue a fortnight ago didn't cause him too much harm.

Cameron - an Aston Villa fan - suggested during a speech in south London two weeks ago that he actually supported West Ham.

Image source, Getty Images

Rumours that this is a photo of the back of the PM's wardrobe are totally untrue.