Slaven Bilic hails West Ham after 'massive win' over Aston Villa

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic praised his side's "massive win" after they beat 10-man Aston Villa 2-0 on Tuesday night.

Villa forward Jordan Ayew was sent off early in the first half for an elbow on Aaron Cresswell, and West Ham capitalised after the break with goals from Michail Antonio and Cheikhou Kouyate.

"It's a massive win for us and I have nothing but praise for our players," said Bilic.

"It's a great win and I'm happy with the guys' quality and with their head because we were composed, together and serious. We have become a serious team.

"In the first half, we were playing mostly in a way we should not do. So we needed that break to reorganise. 

"After the break, we played exactly as we should - two touch, between lines. We didn't panic, were patient in some ways and in others we were quick and dynamic without losing shape.

"Defending with 10 or 11 doesn't make much difference, so you always need that bit extra, whether it's skill, luck or both. We had great skill by Mark [Noble] and Antonio [for the first goal]. We should have scored the second earlier and after we scored the second it was over."

While Bilic admitted the red card was a "turning point", he was more keen to talk about his own team, saving particular praise for goalscorer Antonio.

The winger struggled to break into the first-team initially after signing in the summer, but got his opportunity due to injuries towards the end of last year and has since grasped it with both hands.

"We signed him not only as a player for the future but also to fight for his place," said Bilic.

"In the beginning, he wasn't getting those chances but the gates opened for him when we got four, five or six injuries around October and November.

"He grabbed his chance because he was training hard. It's the perfect example of what a good professional is."