VILLA PARK — West Ham United produced a performance worthy of top-four billing as they climbed back into the Champions League places.
You could argue the 50th-minute sending-off of Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa was a factor, but Ben Johnson’s seventh-minute goal set the tone for a dominant display and deserved victory by David Moyes’s side.
Declan Rice put West Ham back in front with 38 minutes on the clock after Ollie Watkins equalised four minutes earlier.
Villa looked a better prospect with 10 men and Watkins headed against the bar.
But Pablo Fornals’s goal 10 minutes from time – after he had only been booked for a late foul on Marvelous Nakamba – ended any hopes of a comeback by Villa.
Jarrod Bowen added a fourth to make it five wins in a row in all competitions for the Hammers, while Villa have suffered four defeats in a row and conceded 12 goals in those games.
With Tyrone Mings dropped by Villa manager Dean Smith after some indifferent form, West Ham took control from the first whistle.
They took the lead when Johnson beat Matt Targett and curled a low, left-footed shot into the far bottom corner of the net.
Villa lost Jarod Ramsey to injury in the 15th minute and West Ham continued to pose problems.
Twice Matty Cash came to Villa’s rescue, blocking two efforts from Bowen.
Villa failed to produce a threat until the 33rd minute, when the lively Cash screwed a rising, angled drive over the bar.
But they equalised in their next attack.
John McGinn sent Emiliano Buendía scampering down the right and the £33 million club record signing held off a defender to cross low to Watkins, who crashed home from 12 yards.
West Ham regained the lead when they again exploited a lack of pressure on the ball as Said Benrahma was allowed to drift in from the left before squaring to Rice.
The England midfielder unleashed a low, 30-yard drive that bounced twice before nestling in the bottom corner. Martinez appeared slow to go down.
The game turned further in West Ham’s favour five minutes after half-time.
Ezri Konsa was sent off after a VAR check when he pulled back Bowen in the box after initially being booked, after Kortney Hause was booked for arguably a harsher challenge for a body check on Pablo Fornals.
Mings belatedly appeared in the 52nd minute as Smith reluctantly withdrew Buendia, who looked furious as he departed down the tunnel.
Watkins headed against the bar from McGinn’s cross and Cash fired wide as Villa sought an elusive equaliser.
In between, a dangerous, low curling free kick from Rice was tipped around the post by Martinez.
The game boiled over in the 79th minute.
Fornals was booked for catching Marvellous Nakamba with a late tackle when it looked like he might have got sent off.
Bowen pushed over McGinn in the melee to also earn a yellow card.
Within a minute, Fornals made it 3-1 to rub salt into Villa’s wounds.
The Spaniard tapped home after Martinez could only palm away Bowen’s shot on the run.
Four minutes later, Bowen finished after Manuel Lanzini squared when Michail Antonio spun Hause far too easily and sprayed the ball into the danger area.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3BuH8if
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