Aston Villa continued their impressive home form by securing their 11th consecutive home league win at Villa Park, a feat not achieved since their record-breaking 13-win streak in 1983. The Villans managed to defeat West Ham United, propelling them to the fifth spot in the Premier League table and leaving them just two points behind the league leaders, Manchester City.
Before kickoff, both teams were separated by the same margin of two points, and the match lived up to its billing with a closely contested start marked by high intensity. However, as the first half progressed, Aston Villa started to assert their dominance, controlling possession and creating a golden opportunity that in-form Ollie Watkins narrowly missed. But, with 30 minutes on the clock, Watkins made amends for his earlier miss, setting up Douglas Luiz, who calmly slotted the ball low into the bottom corner, becoming the first player to score in six consecutive Premier League appearances at Villa Park.
Trailing at halftime in the Premier League for the first time this season, West Ham knew they needed to raise their game, but things took a turn for the worse shortly after the interval. A careless pass from Lucas Paquetá led to a clumsy foul by Edson Álvarez on Ezri Konsa, granting Luiz the opportunity to double his goal tally from the penalty spot. Facing the Holte End, the Brazilian made no mistake, smashing his penalty down the middle. However, the joy of the home supporters was short-lived, as just four minutes later, Jarrod Bowen showcased his worth. The player, who had recently signed a lengthy contract extension, fired a deflected strike inside the far post, making him just the third player in Premier League history to score in each of his five opening away league games. This goal also extended West Ham’s streak of both teams scoring in their last six Premier League away matches.
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But the scoring was far from over. With the match still hanging in the balance, John McGinn delivered an exquisite ball that allowed Watkins to charge towards goal and unleash a rocket into the near post, leaving Alphonse Areola with no chance.
Adding to the excitement, Leon Bailey came off the bench and rounded off the scoring in style, displaying remarkable agility in the penalty area. His goal sealed an end to Villa’s 10-match winless streak in head-to-head encounters against West Ham. It was a remarkable turnaround, considering that West Ham had previously gone 14 Premier League head-to-head matches without a loss, with 8 wins and 6 draws. This defeat marked David Moyes’ first league loss against Villa, leaving West Ham in 9th place in the Premier League table.
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