17 August 2024
West Ham 1 Aston Villa 2
Julen Lopetegui began his career as the new West Ham manager with a game at the London Stadium against Aston Villa. The Hammers have been very active in the transfer window which has seen eight new arrivals, with a spend of over £100m. This would be a tough start to life in the capital for the manager with Unai Emery’s Villa coming to town.
They made the worst start possible as Onana rose to meet Tielemans’ corner with a thunderous header. With no more than four minutes on the clock, the visitors had taken the lead. After all the anticipation about the new era under Lopetegui, it had all got off to a dreadful beginning. Somewhere David Moyes was pointing at a TV screen with a can of lager in the other hand.
The visitors were looking like a team possessed in the early stages. Rogers ran through on goal, with the defenders continuing to back off him, before he pulled the trigger. Areola made a save to deny them doubling their lead. Moments later Bailey beat the keeper to the ball in a wide position and took it around him. He looked to score from a tight angle but his effort struck the outside of the post.
As a West Ham attack broke down, Aston Villa broke with real pace. Rogers glided through the hosts’ defence before laying the ball into the path of McGinn. His first shot was blocked but as it rebounded to him, he looked to place it in the far corner. With Areola beaten, the London Stadium breathed a sigh of relief as it narrowly went the wrong side of the post.
Emery’s side should have been out of sight when The Hammers played a long ball into the box. As Soucek looked to get on the end of it he was bundled to the ground. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Even a VAR review could not save the blushes of Cash, despite it being a very contentious decision. The West Ham man seemed to put his leg across him to initiate contact.
Paqueta stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way as he drew his side level. It was very much against the run of play but that did not bother West Ham in the slightest. At this level, there are going to be times when you need to grind out results even when you are not playing well. This is what they struggled to do under Moyes, they would sink without a trace.
The Hammers seemed to come to life after that goal. They started playing football, moving into pockets of space and stretching the Aston Villa defence. Emerson made one such run and got a shot off which Martinez had to get down well to save at his near post. They were starting to look like a team capable of making Unai Emery’s day a torrid one.
Bailey’s pace was still causing the hosts problems. They were turning defence into attack often. One such run by the Jamaican winger saw him cut inside onto his stronger foot and look to bend one in the far corner. Areola was at full-stretch but the ball narrowly missed the far post. The sides went into the break all square. That would have infuriated their Spanish manager.
Every time Villa countered, they got numbers forward. Rogers on this occasion laid the ball off to Tielemans on the edge of the box. His shot was blocked but it broke kindly for Emery’s side although the West Ham keeper saved, at the expense of a corner. Moments later Digne played Duran in but his shot could only find the side netting when Ramsey would have had a tap if he had he squared it.
The visitors continued to press and Maatsen made a good run into the channel, then picking out Duran in the box. His first time shot went under Areola and nestled into the back of the net to send the away end into raptures. With just over ten minutes remaining, the hosts now had a huge uphill struggle to get anything out of this game.
Two substitutes combined for The Hammers when some good work out wide by Summerville saw him find Ings in the box. His header was too close to Martinez and he was able to make a comfortable save. From that range, the former Liverpool striker should be hitting the back of the net. You felt that was their big chance to salvage something from this game.
Summerville worked his magic once again out wide, this time switching play to Kudus. His cross from the byline picked out Soucek, whose header beat the Villa keeper only to see Konsa chest it off the line. It dropped invitingly to the midfielder but somehow, he sliced his second effort over the crossbar when it seemed easier to score.
Aston Villa held on for the three points and were good value for their victory. Emery will want his side to make themselves top four regulars and not follow in the footsteps of Newcastle as one-season wonders. He has added plenty of quality and depth to the squad, it just remains to be seen if they can juggle both European and domestic competitions.
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