West Ham 2 Aston Villa 1 - Report

The forward, playing for the first time since Russia’s invasion of his homeland, came off the bench to break the deadlock at the London Stadium with 20 minutes remaining.

Pablo Fornals then doubled the lead when he finished off a counter-attacking move before Jacob Ramsey pulled one back to give Villa hope.

But it proved too little, too late as Steven Gerrard’s men saw their three-match winning run brought to an end.

Danny Ings had earlier gone close to opening the scoring when he saw an effort brilliantly saved by West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianksi.

That proved a critical moment as the Hammers came on strong in the final quarter of an often scrappy match between two tired-looking teams.

For Villa this was a frustrating defeat which pretty much ended any remote hope of gatecrashing the race for European football over the season’s closing weeks.

Instead they got a reminder of just how far they have to go against a West Ham team who are mixing it with the Premier League’s so-called big six.

There was, in truth, not much in the contest yet the Hammers were just that little bit slicker when it mattered.

Villa went into the game full of confidence after Thursday’s 3-0 win at Leeds and one of the heroes of that match, Matty Cash, went close to having an early impact here with a low cross which wouldn’t quite fall for Danny Ings.

It was the hosts, however, who looked the more threatening early on, Said Benrahma sending an early shot too close to Emi Martinez before Pablo Fornals dragged an effort wide from 20 yards out after being found in space by Michail Antonio.

Having named an unchanged XI, Gerrard was then forced into an early switch when Lucas Digne sustained an injury and was replaced by Ashley Young.

The Hammers were seeing most of the ball and asking most of the questions but whenever Villa were able to get possession in the final third they looked dangerous. Jacob Ramsey showed great strength to burst into the box and when he squared for Coutinho, the Brazilian narrowly failed to send a flicked effort past Lucasz Fabianksi.

Villa’s biggest issue, not for the first time this season, was their inability to keep hold of the ball for any length of time. When Ings looked to relieve a spell of pressure his clearance only found Cresswell and when the ball was returned into the box a diving Soucek sent his header a yard wide.

Gradually the visitors got better at keeping the ball though their best spell of the half failed to result in a clear effort on goal.

When Douglas Luiz was caught by the high boot of Manuel Lanzini late in the half he became the fourth visiting player to require treatment.

Yet early in the second period it was the hosts who were forced into two changes, Antonio and Cresswell going off in quick succession and replaced by Yarmolenko and Ryan Fredericks.

In between Villa came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock, Fabianksi pushing Ings’ shot onto the post after the ball had fallen for the striker 10 yards out.

Soon after Martinez got the chance to show off his reflexes when he parried Zouma’s powerful close-range header, Dawson somehow nodding the rebound over the bar.

Villa were losing the ball too easily again but the hosts lacking the poise in the final third to capitalise.

At least that was the case until the 70th minute when Yarmolenko took advantage of the time afforded him by Villa’s backline after receiving Benrahma’s pass to turn and send a left-footed shot beyond Martinez and into the bottom corner.

It was an acutely emotional moment for the forward, who began crying during the celebration as the stadium PA announced “a goal for West Ham and Ukraine”.

Villa looked for a response and Leon Bailey, on as a substitute, sent a long-range effort straight at Fabianksi.

But with eight minutes remaining Fornals struck what proved to be the winner. Rice broke out from his own half and found Benrahma, who squared for his team-mates to send a low shot under Martinez.

Villa, to their credit, kept pushing and after Buendia had been denied by Fabianksi the Argentine squared for Ramsey to slam home his sixth goal of the season.

Teams

West Ham (4-2-3-1): Fabianksi, Johnson, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell (Fredericks 57), Rice ©, Soucek, Fornals, Lanzini, Benrahma, Antonio (Yarmolenko 52) Subs not used: Noble, Diop, Masuaku, Kral, Oko-Flex, Perkins, Areola (gk).

Villa (4-3-1-2): Martinez, Cash, Chambers, Mings ©, Digne (Young 10), McGinn, Luiz (Buendia 79), Ramsey, Coutinho, Ings (Bailey69), Watkins Subs not used: Konsa, Sanson, Traore, Chukwuemeka, Iroegbunam, Olsen (gk).