Aston Villa vs West Ham United. Premier League.
Villa ParkAttendance41,796.
Free highlights and match report as West Ham move off the bottom of the Premier League thanks to Pablo Fornals' deflected strike in the 74th minute; Villa supporters booed their team off at full-time as pressure starts to mount on manager Steven Gerrard
Monday 29 August 2022 06:11, UK
Pablo Fornals ended West Ham's goal drought to give them their first Premier League victory of the season with a 1-0 win at Aston Villa that left Steven Gerrard calling for a response from his struggling side.
David Moyes' men were bottom of the division without scoring and that did not look like changing after a dire first-half performance until Fornals saw his deflected shot loop over Emiliano Martinez (74).
Aston Villa had the ball in the net during the opening period although Lucas Digne's corner had already swung out of play before Ezri Konsa tapped in.
Villa supporters booed their team off at full-time as pressure starts to mount on Gerrard with this their ninth defeat in their last 15 Premier League matches.
"We haven't got enough points on the board," Gerrard said afterwards. "I take responsibility and accountability for that, but I want to put that right and I hope my players feel the same."
Aston Villa controlled what was a dreadful first half, unable to create any clear chances, while West Ham had just one shot off target.
Konsa's close-range finish from Digne's corner was quickly ruled out and that was the closest either side came to scoring.
Moyes hauled off new signing Emerson at half-time, bringing on Said Benrahma and switching to a back four, which gave them more ambition yet it was not enough to prevent striker Gianluca Scamacca being hooked a little after an hour on his full debut.
However, as chances continued to be in short supply, West Ham finally found their first goal 15 minutes before the end as Fornals' shot from the edge of the area deflected off Konsa and luckily over Martinez.
Aston Villa head coach Steven Gerrard told Sky Sports:
"I was really happy first half, I thought we controlled a lot of the game, we never really created enough to trouble their keeper.
"The game was finely balanced at half-time. They made a couple of changes and we stopped keeping the ball. They hurt us on a couple of occasions, a little bit more than they did the first half and then the game was there for us to take it from them or they were going to get us. The deflected goal is a big moment that went against us.
"We tried to be positive with our subs but they couldn't help us. I can't fault the lads effort and application, they've given a lot to the game and we've lost a close one.
"The players are the ones who have to act now, we'll help and support them in every way we can but it's got to come from within as well. We've got two really tough games now but I've got belief and confidence we can go and get results in them.
"We haven't got enough points on the board, I take responsibility and accountability for that, but I want to put that right and I hope my players feel the same."
West Ham manager David Moyes told Sky Sports:
"A great three points. The Premier League is so tough at the moment. Very little between the teams, the games are really tight and today was really tight.
"We played much better in the second half. Any win away from home in the Premier League is a real good result for us.
"The formation change at half-time helped. We set up in a certain way and didn't play well enough, they caused us some problems.
"The formation is important but the players showed attitude, commitment and determination.
"We've done really well the past couple of years and they want to continue that and today I think they showed their resilience once again."
Sky Sports' David Richardson:
Everyone inside Villa Park knew the boos were coming.
The Aston Villa supporters are beginning to turn on Steven Gerrard's underperforming side after three defeats from their first four games.
The rot spreads for longer than just this August though with Villa winning only two of their final 11 matches last season.
Despite starting both Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins plus Phillippe Coutinho, entering the final third 68 times to West Ham's 44 and seeing more of the ball, the hosts could not muster a single big chance.
Gerrard made four much-needed changes from their dismal defeat at Crystal Palace yet he must still be wondering what his best XI is. Defeat at Bournemouth in a 4-3-3 on the opening day brought two changes, a switch to a narrow 4-4-2 and victory over Everton.
He then made three changes, switching back to a 4-3-3, for the Palace disaster before reverting again to the midfield diamond plus Ings and Watkins against West Ham, which this time failed to fire.
Now with a trip to Arsenal and the visit of Manchester City in their next two matches, what will Gerrard do?
The boo-boys' next move will be to clear their throats.
Sky Sports' Dan Sansom:
Expectations have increased at West Ham after finishing sixth and seventh under David Moyes in the previous two Premier League seasons, but that pressure seemed to have a damaging effect at the start of this campaign.
As the Hammers travelled to the west Midlands to face Aston Villa on Sunday, they remained the only team in English football's top four divisions not to have scored in the league. They began the day bottom of the table, with three defeats from three.
Despite routine victories over Danish club Viborg in the Europa Conference League, domestically Moyes' side had not been at the races - and they looked to be off the pace again at Villa Park in the opening 45 minutes.
They grew into the game though and the introduction of Said Benrahma for debutant Emerson at the break - as well as a change in formation - proved the difference. Benrahma was at the heart of every promising West Ham move in the second half, with Kurt Zouma also impressing as the visitors showed their battling qualities to grind out three points.
Pablo Fornals' deflected strike sealed the victory and lifted spirits ahead of two upcoming London derbies against Tottenham and Chelsea, but this was a collective effort.
"The formation is important, but the players showed attitude, commitment and determination," Moyes told Sky Sports.
"We've done really well over the past couple of years and we want to continue that. The players showed their resilience once again."
The imminent arrival of Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta will give West Ham another boost before they host Spurs on Wednesday. Their season is finally up and running.
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Aston Villa face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium 7.30pm on Wednesday. West Ham host Tottenham at 7.45pm in the Premier League on the same evening.
