West Ham United 1-1 Aston Villa
Premier League, London Stadium, Sunday 17 March 2024, 2pm GMT
West Ham United were denied a last-gasp winner by a VAR review as the Irons were held to a 1-1 Premier League draw by Aston Villa at London Stadium.
The Hammers had no fewer than three ‘goals’ ruled out on Sunday, one for a foul on Emiliano Martínez and two on review for handball against Michail Antonio and Tomáš Souček, leaving manager David Moyes and his players deeply frustrated.
Before that hat-trick of disallowed strikes, Antonio’s first Premier League goal since August had put his side in front on 29 minutes, only for Villa substitute Nicolò Zaniolo to level with 12 minutes to play.
And so it is that the Hammers go into the March international break seventh in the table, but with a pack of five clubs within six points of them ahead of the final stage of the 2023/24 season.
After the high of the midweek UEFA Europa League round of 16 win over SC Freiburg, West Ham will feel a sense of frustration, particularly after Souček’s bundled finish was ruled out after around five minutes of replay viewing by VAR Tony Harrington and referee Jarred Gillett.
Much earlier, in the first half, West Ham’s high press repeatedly forced the visitors into errors inside their own territory, and it was from one of those incidences that the Irons went in front.
Antonio forced a turnover high up and eventually Villa cleared hurriedly for a throw-in. Emerson, Lucas Paquetá and Souček combined before the latter spread play wide right for fellow countryman Vladimír Coufal, who controlled and curled a cross past four Villa defenders to Antonio to get in front of Ezri Konsa and dive to head past Martínez.
It was the No9’s first Premier League goal in 14 appearances dating back to the away win at Brighton & Hove Albion in August, while Coufal’s assist was his seventh of the season, second of all top-flight full-backs behind Newcastle United’s Kieran Trippier.
The goal aside, both teams created chances, albeit by using different styles to do so. West Ham combined their press with their trademark counter-attacking and threat from set-plays, and both proved effective, while Villa played possession-based football.
From open play, Paquetá’s shot deflected narrowly wide off teammate Souček’s heel. Coufal then came oh so close to scoring his first West Ham goal, as Martínez beat his shot aside and the right-back volleyed the follow-up past the far post.
Jarrod Bowen’s corners caused issues for Martínez, too. The Argentine saw Paquetá head the first flag-kick over, punched one clear, and was later relieved to hear referee Gillett’s whistle for a foul on him by Antonio as Mohammed Kudus volleyed into the net, the goal being disallowed.
At the other end, despite having 65% possession, Villa tested Alphonse Areola twice inside the opening 20 minutes. The Frenchman kept out Ollie Watkins’ 12th-minute shot with his left foot, then dived to his right to hold Morgan Rogers’ low effort, but otherwise was protected well by his teammates.
Into the second half and West Ham had a second ‘goal’ disallowed within three minutes of the restart. Bowen’s corner caused havoc and the ball went in off Antonio, only for Harrington to rule it had hit the Jamaican’s arm. In truth, Antonio did not dispute the handball decision.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the incident galvanised Villa, who dominated the next 20 minutes and it took a fine block from Emerson to deny Antonio’s international compatriot Leon Bailey, who then fired high and wide moments later. With Villa introducing substitutes to freshen things up, too, the pressure was building and Areola did well to punch Youri Tielemans’ strike well clear and parry Ezri Konsa’s shot.
A Kudus run lifted the pressure momentarily and, after a foul on the Ghanaian, Martínez pushed Paquetá’s free-kick aside and Kudus himself fired wide from the resulting corner, but it was rare respite, and it was no surprise when Villa levelled with 12 minutes to play.
Moussa Diaby raced through to the byline and cut the ball back for fellow substitute Zaniolo to slam low past Areola from ten yards out.
As the game went into added-time, West Ham had a chance to win it on the counter, but yet another Villa substitute, Matty Cash, bravely blocked James Ward-Prowse’s shot, and then another from a set piece as the midfielder’s free-kick was eventually bundled in by Souček.
However, the cheers of the home fans soon turned to jeers as Harrington called Gillett to the pitchside screen and the referee overturned his original decision to award the goal.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Mavropanos, Zouma ©, Emerson (Cresswell 84), Álvarez, Souček, Paquetá (Ward-Prowse 84), Kudus, Bowen, Antonio (Johnson 66)
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Ogbonna, Aguerd, Phillips, Earthy, Ings
Goal: Antonio 29
Booked: Álvarez, Kudus, Mavropanos
Aston Villa: Martínez ©, Konsa, Moreno (Digne 63), Pau, Lenglet (Cash 46), Luiz, Tielemans, Durán (Diaby 46), Rogers (Zaniolo 63), Bailey, Watkins
Subs not used: Olsen (GK), Carlos, Chambers, Kesley-Hayden, Iroegbunam
Goal: Zaniolo 78
Booked: Tielemans, Zaniolo, Luiz
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Attendance: 62,461
