Aston Villa 1-3 West Ham Utd

  • by Staff Writer
  • Thursday, 4th February 2021

A brace from new boy Jesse Lingard set West Ham on their way to a sixth away win of the season at Villa Park.

The on-loan attacking midfielder, thrust into the starting XI by David Moyes less than a week after his move from Manchester United was confirmed struck twice in the second half to send the Hammers to within two points of fourth placed Liverpool.

And those goals, alongside Tomas Soucek's eighth of the campaign was enough to keep West Ham firmly in the hunt for a European spot.


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Villa, who could've moved above West Ham with a win tonight were no match for David Moyes' well-drilled side, who were perfectly set-up to both counter the threat provided by Villa key man Jack Grealish and score goals at the other end.

For while Lingard and Soucek will grab tomorrow morning's headlines, the likes of Vladimir Coufal and Ryan Fredericks were equally instrumental in securing West Ham's latest win on the road.

Although the Hammers were by far the better team in the first half and the most likely to score, Villa managed to remain on par until the interval and regroup. However they were no less able to cope with West Ham in the second period and held out for just 12 minutes before conceding the opening goal of the game.


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Craig Dawson, who was a little under par in the first half started the move by winning a header deep in West Ham's territory. A move involving Michail Antonio and Said Benrahma ensued before the latter found Soucek with a slide rule pass, which was fired across Villa 'keeper Martinez to open the scoring.

It took a further five minutes for West Ham to find the net again, with Lingard opening his account for the Hammers having been set up by a clever floated pass from Antonio which the midfielder sent across the body of Emiliano Martinez - who, not for the last time in the evening, may have felt he could've done better with the shot.

Villa afforded themselves a lifeline nine minutes from the end of normal time when Ollie Watkins, who had grazed Lukazs Fabianski's post with a first half effort finally found the net after being played in by Grealish - who for perhaps the first time in the game escaped the attentions of Vladimir Coufal.


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In the past that might've been the signal for West Ham to defend desperately in order to hang onto their slim advantage, but Moyes team are made of different stuff - and within 90 seconds the Hammers had restored their two goal advantage.

Once again it was Antonio who provided the killer ball to goalscorer Lingard, after Dawson and Soucek had combined to regain possession deep in West Ham territory. Lingard's hopeful strike shouldn't have beaten 'keeper Martinez but not for the first time on the night, the Argentinean was left feeling he shouldn't have been beaten.

The win, combined with Liverpool's surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton leaves West Ham just two points below the fourth-place Reds, who host Manchester City this weekend while West Ham travel to Fulham.


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West Ham Utd: Fabianski, Coufal, Dawson, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Fredericks (Fornals 84), Rice, Soucek, Lingard (Bowen 90+1), Benrahma (Johnson 88), Antonio.

Subs not used: Martin, Diop, Balbuena, Lanzini, Yarmolenko, Odubeko.

Goals: Soucek (51), Lingard (56, 83).

Booked: Cresswell.

Aston Villa: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Douglas Luiz (Sanson 80), McGinn, El Ghazi (Traore 46), Barkley (Trezeguet 69), Grealish, Watkins.

Subs not used: Heaton, Engels, El Mohamady, Nakamba, Ramsey, Davis.

Goals: Watkins (81).

Booked: Luiz (70).

Referee: Andy Madley

xG: Aston Villa 0.74; West Ham 1.79.

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