Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham
West Ham delivered an impressive performance against Aston Villa despite an ongoing injury crisis. The club are currently struggling with player availability but you wouldn’t have known it by the way the Irons finished this encounter.
Like everyone else, I sighed in frustration upon seeing Graham Potter’s starting line-up, which omitted both Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen.
The team’s setup looked ramshackle, and early signs were not promising as Jacob Ramsey scored an easily avoidable goal. Villa appeared the better team in the first exchanges, but as the game progressed, West Ham toiled, grafted, and began to unsettle the Midlanders.
Half-time brought a massive shift in momentum for the Hammers, with Emerson’s equalising goal to make it 1-1 well deserved. By the end, it was West Ham pressing for victory, with standout performances from Lucas Paquetá and Aaron Wan-Bissaka causing all manner of problems for the home team.
Had Aston Villa scored a late winner, it would have felt like rough justice. Conversely, a winning goal for the Hammers would have been no surprise and, in my view, entirely justified.
Credit must go to new West Ham manager Graham Potter, who has been dealt a very tough hand yet managed to get the team playing with more control, more possession, and improved defensive resilience.
Make no mistake—after Villa’s early goal in the 8th minute, many of us feared the worst. Far too many recent West Ham performances have ended in thrashings, but this time the players and manager showed grit and resolve to prevent a narrow deficit from becoming a heavy defeat.
Praise where it’s due. Well done Gonzo.
Moyes’s and Lopetegui’s teams would most likely have been three down by half-time yesterday. This looks and feels different – and with Todibo, Mavropanos, Bowen, Summerville, Fullkrug and Antonio unavailable for selection as well. (Let’s hop Potter can turn around Mavro soon, otherwise he could be on his way in July.) The sooner we get some of them back the better.
It was good to see Scarles and Irving get a few minutes yesterday. More of Orford and Guilherme would be welcome, plus something of Casey and Potts as well. Could save us a few millions over the next two seasons.
Sincerely hope the youngsters get more and more game time, to compete for places in the future with the regulars. Irving always seems very competent coming on and willing to go forward, apply pressure. Too early to tell but hope he makes it. In this environment, you get the feeling players will be given a chance if they earn it as well as advice/coaching, in order to improve.
You could clearly see we were getting in there faces whitch was good to see plus a clear pattern of play Well done potter given us back a great futire to look to
Hmm, now normally I’m all for good sportsmanship but I’m just reflecting on how after Dignes elbow on Paqueta, how much I enjoyed Paqueta “accidentally” treading on Dignes foot.
The team seemed to be combining well in parts with everybody pulling together and covering for each other. In the 2nd half when everyone was showing for the ball, turning and taking the game to the opposition I was chuckling away seeing something I had not seen WHU do for what feels like ages. A big difference already to see a team playing for each other and whatever comes next, I think the players will start to enjoy it and so will we.
Whu love to start game with an uphill to climb, early goals by opposition, a trait which needs to be avoided.
Alvarez bookings another obstacle that needs to be addressed.
Potters work won’t be done until he is backed with transfers needed.
Headline: ‘Potter will fail without recruitment backing’.
1 week to go!!!
Don’t this week’s game cloud the issue.
So different already, great team performance. If only Sullivan acted earlier to get rid of Lopetegui! Just need to sort out the amateur transfer process and we could be a serious club again. Not sure that was Steidens fault though.