West Ham United 1-2 Aston Villa
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 17 August 2024, 5.30pm BST
Julen Lopetegui's tenure as West Ham United Head Coach began with a narrow opening day defeat against Aston Villa at London Stadium on Saturday.
The visitors found themselves in firm control when Amadou Onana nodded them into a fourth-minute lead, taking advantage of some loose West Ham marking to head home, but Lucas Paquetá levelled from the penalty spot to ensure the sides would go in at half-time locked at 1-1.
Jhon Durán's 79th minute strike ultimately proved the difference and was enough to hand the visitors all three points.
The Hammers had their chances – especially in a much-improved second half– but failed to capitalise and ultimately it proved to be an evening of frustration for Lopetegui’s side.
Boss Lopetegui opted to hand debuts to Maximilian Kilman and Guido Rodríguez, while Jarrod Bowen wore the captain’s armband on Claret and Blue day.
This was West Ham’s first competitive match under the Spaniard, with the buoyant Hammers fans understandably bouncing at kick-off. But Aston Villa immediately set about asserting their authority on proceedings, and took the lead after just four minutes in E20. Tomáš Souček conceded a corner with a loose touch and the visitors soon made Lopetegui’s side pay, as Youri Tielemans’ corner found Onana unmarked at the front post to head home and send the travelling support wild.
West Ham had no answer to the waves of early pressure. The away fans were nearly celebrating again once shortly after when Morgan Rogers forced Alphonse Areola into a full-stretch save with a low shot after embarking on a long, mazy run, before Leon Bailey raced onto Matty Cash's long ball forward, managed to get past Areola and struck towards goal but saw his effort hit the near post.
The chances kept on coming for Unai Emery’s side, with John McGinn curling wide by a fraction at the end of a flowing counter-attack, as Villa spurned plenty of golden opportunities to extend their advantage.
In truth, the Hammers struggled to craft a clear-cut opportunity throughout the opening 30 minutes, but they would level from the penalty spot on 37 minutes after a tangle of legs between Cash and Souček inside the box, with Paquetá sending Emiliano Martinez the wrong way from 12 yards.
Lopetegui’s side started the second half impressively, with Souček seeing a shot blocked after Mohammed Kudus' stunning rabona-style cross, before Bowen’s header from the resulting corner went as far as Rodríguez who fired high and wide from distance.
At the other end, Villa almost went back in front just before the hour mark, when Tieleman’s shot was blocked by as far as Rogers, whose follow-up was scrambled wide by Dinos Mavropanos, before substitute Durán could only lash into the side-netting after beating the offside trap.
Summer signings Niclas Füllkrug and Crysencio Summerville came on for their West Ham debuts and were met with a loud, standing ovation from the Hammers faithful.
However, London Stadium was soon silenced as Ian Maatsen, Jaden Philogene and Jacob Ramsey combined to devastating effect to restore Villa's lead, with Durán sweeping home from close range after getting on the end of Ramsey’s low cross.
West Ham thought they were about to level once more in injury time, when Kudus crossed to the far post for Souček, who saw his header cleared off the line, and the rebound went over the crossbar from close in.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal (Todibo 85), Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Rodríguez (Ings 85) , Souček, Paquetá (Ward-Prowse 73), Bowen © (Summerville 73), Kudus, Antonio (Füllkrug 73)
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Cresswell, Wan-Bissaka, Irving
Goal: Paquetá pen 37
Booked: Paquetá
Aston Villa: Martínez, Cash (Nedeljkovic 82), Konsa, Pau, Digne (Maatsen 74), McGinn © (Ramsey 62) Tielemans, Onana, Rogers, Bailey (Philogene 74) Watkins (Durán 62)
Subs not used: Gauci (GK), Diego Carlos, Barkley, Buendía
Goals: Onana 4, Durán 79
Booked: Bailey, Philogene
Referee: Tony Harrington
Attendance: 62,463
