Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham United
Premier League, Villa Park, Sunday 26 January 2025, 4.30pm GMT
Emerson’s powerful second-half header earned West Ham United a valuable Premier League point on the road at Aston Villa on Sunday.
The Hammers fell behind to Jacob Ramsey’s eighth-minute goal, but stuck to their task and secured a 1-1 draw when the wing-back headed Edson Álvarez’s cross in at the far post with 20 minutes to play.
Both teams had further chances, and Lucas Paquetá had a goal ruled out for offside against Tomáš Souček in the build-up in the final minute of added time, but it ended a point apiece on a cold afternoon in the West Midlands.
The first half was a strange affair which ended with both sets of supporters booing referee Peter Bankes off the pitch, with the perception being that he had allowed players on both sides to get away with foul challenges on their opponents.
In truth, it was not a dirty game in the slightest, but a combination of clumsy challenges and gamesmanship meant the fans’ frustrations rose as the half went on.
Away from that sideshow, Villa edged things and used a fast start to take the lead inside eight minutes.
Maximilian Kilman had already denied Aaron Ramsey with a sliding challenge before the same player exchanged passes with Ollie Watkins, burst past Vladimír Coufal and finished low across Alphonse Areola into the bottom right-hand corner.
Villa continued to press and went close to a quickfire second. Álvarez blocked Boubacar Kamara’s shot, Morgan Rogers’ tap-in was ruled out by a belated offside flag, and Leon Bailey fired straight at Areola.
After 15 minutes on the back foot, West Ham countered. Tyrone Mings blocked shots from Álvarez and Paquetá, then Youri Tielemans did likewise to keep out Souček’s powerful diving header from an Aaron Cresswell corner.
Ville hit back, with Watkins sending one header into Areola’s gloves and a second a yard wide, and Tielemans shooting just past the post in between.
As the jeers rained down from the stands, but the rain dried up from the skies, the half ended with nine minutes of added time, during which Ian Maatsen – on for the injured Mings – and Lucas Digne had shots blocked for Villa, Digne was VAR reviewed and cleared of a suspected elbow on Paquetá, and both Mohammed Kudus and Paquetá screwed efforts off-target for West Ham.
Into the second half and the Irons started brightly. Paquetá sliced wide, Emerson forced a first save out of Emiliano Martínez and Carlos Soler’s shot was cleared off the line by Ezri Konsa after the Villa goalkeeper had collided with teammate Matty Cash.
Villa countered again. Digne’s free-kick flew over, Bailey’s shot was hacked away by a sliding Coufal, and substitute Donyell Malen fired straight at Areola seconds after replacing the Jamaican.
Then, moments after Álvarez had been booked for clumsily falling and handling the ball, the Mexican collected from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and delivered an inch-perfect far post cross for Emerson, who powered a header back past Martínez.
Seven minutes later, Wan-Bissaka delivered from a similar position, but Souček could not keep his header down.
The game continued to ebb and flow into the final ten minutes as Villa substitute Jhon Durán sent a shot into the side netting, then Hammers replacement Danny Ings fizzed a half-volley inches past the post and Kilman headed a Cresswell corner wide.
With both sides tiring and spaces opening up at both ends, a winner looked likely, but Paquetá’s 98th-minute tap-in was ruled out by an offside flag against Souček as he followed up when Martínez spilt Andy Irving’s shot, and it ended honours even.
Aston Villa: Martínez ©, Cash, Konsa, Mings (Maatsen 37), Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, Bailey (Malen 65), Rogers (Buendia 72), Ramsey (McGinn 73), Watkins (Durán 65)
Subs not used: Olsen (GK), Zych (GK), García, Bogarde
Goal: Ramsey 8
Booked: Tielemans, Rogers
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Cresswell, Emerson (Scarles 75), Álvarez (Irving 89), Souček ©, Soler (Ings 75), Kudus (Rodríguez 90+7), Paquetá
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Foderingham (GK), Casey, Orford, Luis Guilherme
Goal: Emerson 70
Booked: Cresswell, Souček, Álvarez
Referee: Peter Bankes
Attendance: TBC
