West Ham's worrying lack of goals shows no sign of easing up after they failed to find the net for a second successive Premier League fixture.
Although they enjoyed the majority of possession throughout the game, the Hammers failed to seriously test Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan throughout the game, meaning the Hammers remain without a home win in the league since the opening day of the season nearly three months ago.Neither side managed to create too much of note in a quiet opening 45 minutes, with West Ham once again adopting the 4-6-0 formation. However United enjoyed lots of the ball without managing to make inroads in the final third.
Of a series of half chances, Matt Jarvis should perhaps have done better when put through on goal but his effort was palmed away by Villa 'keeper Brad Guzan.
Jack Collison, restored to the starting XI in place of Mo Diame saw a fierce 20-yard shot fly inches wide of the near post - and Kevin Nolan couldn't quite turn enough to screw his 12-yard shot inside the post.
At the other end Jussi Jaaskelainen didn'nt had a save to make, with Villa providing very little attacking threat. However Ravel Morrison had to be alert to deny Villa when a long ball through the middle left the young Hammers in a one v one chase, which fortunately he won.
After the break it was much the same story, with West Ham dominating but failing to make inroads in the final third of the pitch. Kevin Nolan had a great chance to score when played in by Stewart Downing by instead of going across the 'keeper he tried to find the near post and shot wide.
Ravel Morrison, playing deeper than perhaps he usually would snapped at a late half chance that he volleyed over the bar whilst Jeo Cole stung Guzan's hands with United's first on-target effort of the day.
However the best chance of the entire game fell to Villa striker Christian Benteke, who escaped Winston Reid for the first and only time in the game to clrash a hreader against the bar with Jaaskelainen flailing.
The point lifts West Ham up to 14th in the Barclay's Premier League, one point and one place behind today's opponents.
West Ham Utd: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Tomkins, Reid, Rat (Diame 90), Collison (C Cole 62), Noble, Morrison, Downing, Nolan, Jarvis (J Cole 62).
Subs not used: Adrian, Maiga, O'Brien, Potts.
Aston Villa: Guzan, Vlaar, Baker, Clark, Lowton, Sylla, Westwood, El Ahmadi, Bacuna, Weimann (Kozak 57), Benteke.
Subs not used: Steer, Helenius, Herd, Bowery, Tonev, Johnson.
Booked: Bacuna, Lowton.
Referee: Howard Webb.
Attendance: 34,977.
* Something to say about this story? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.