West Ham 2 Aston Villa 1 - Report

The good came from skipper Jack Grealish, who scored his fifth goal of the campaign to cap another fine individual display.

Yet that was outweighed by the bad, delivered by Villa’s defending which allowed West Ham to score in the opening minutes of both halves to steal victory and alsontheir finishing, which included a second half penalty missed by Ollie Watkins - who then saw a stoppage time leveller chalked off by VAR for the most marginal of offside decisions.

Grealish also supplied the ugly too, courtesy of a needlessly exaggerated fall after being caught, barely, by Pablo Fornals’ second half swipe.

By the end it was the latter who had the last laugh with Grealish no doubt wondering how he had ended up on the losing side.

It was because while the bigger picture this season looks immeasurably better for Villa, who needed a point to avoid relegation on the final day of last season, the little details are letting them down.

Their defending both for Angelo Ogbonna’s opener and Jarrod Bowen’s winner - 29 seconds into the second half - was bordering on the hapless. Their finishing was almost as poor, both Trezeguet and Watkins failing to finish good chances. Dominant for long periods, this was a match where Dean Smith’s team really did pay the biggest possible price for their profligacy.

Defeat was the fourth in five matches for Villa but there is not much wrong with their performances, provided they can iron out the creases.

While Villa were without Ross Barkley, the hosts welcomed back Michail Antonio after three matches out with a hamstring injury.

The striker had an immediate impact, his presence in the box preventing Villa from dealing properly with a long throw which almost proved costly when the ball fell for Tomas Soucek 12 yards out and he fired towards goal, Matt Targett in the right place to block the shot.

Villa’s relief proved short lived when Bowen swung in the corner and Ogbonna outjumped Targett at the far post to power home a header and put the Hammers ahead.

The early goal, the first Villa had conceded on their travels, was a prelude to rather scrappy opening spell before the visitors gradually found their rhythm.

They might have levelled when Konsa arrived unmarked to meet a deep Targett cross at the far post but the defender could not quite make the required contact with his header, which looped just over the bar.

Hourihane then brought a flying save out of Lukasz Fabianksi with a well-struck free-kick after Trezeguet had been tripped 25 yards from goal.

Yet the West Ham keeper had no chance when Grealish did restore parity soon after. Villa right-back Matty Cash was the architect, finding his skipper in space in the middle of the pitch with a clever infield pass. From there Grealish drove at a retreating defence before hitting a shot which took a slight nick off a defender on its way past Fabianksi and into the top corner.

Back on terms, Villa perhaps should have been in front by the break.

A crucial intervention was required by Ogbonna to prevent another well-flighted Hourihane delivery from finding Ezri Konsa at the far post, before Watkins shot inches wide from Trezeguet’s chest down after a sharp passing move.

The hosts were becoming frustrated, both with their own play and at the number of free-kicks referee Peter Bankes was awarding to Villa.

Some of those complaints became too much for Smith, who could be heard booming a response at West Ham assistant Kevin Nolan, the latter of whom was being spoken to by fourth official Anthony Taylor as Hourihane sent another free-kick into the side-netting.

Villa’s dominance no doubt prompted the double half-time change from Hammers boss David Moyes, bringing on Haller and Benrahma, which reaped instant rewards.

Benrahma’s first act was to deliver a cross which Bowen, racing into the box, flicked over Martinez and into the bottom corner as Villa, just in the opening half, were caught cold.

Grealish tried to find a quick answer with a driving run before picking out McGinn. But the latter’s shot with his weaker right foot lacked power and was easily blocked by Aaron Cresswell.

Tempers were becoming increasingly frayed, Pablo Fornals going into the book for a swipe at Grealish which made little to no contact but prompted an exaggerated fall from the Villa skipper. John Terry and a member of the home backroom staff were then cautioned as relations between the opposing benches remained prickly.

Villa’s finishing was not improving the mood of their coaching staff. From a corner they broke quickly, Grealish finding Watkins with a superb crossfield ball. The latter considered a shot before squaring low from Trezeguet, who from six yards out looked certain to score but scuffed the finish and Fabianski saved.

Worse was to follow. When Declan Rice tugged Trezeguet’s shirt as the winger tried to reach Douglas Luiz’s flick, referee Bankes pointed to the spot and Watkins just had to beat Fabianksi from 12 yards for his seventh Premier League goal of the season. But he sent the penalty crashing off the bar.

Stoppage time appeared to have delivered redemption when Targett crossed and Watkins side-footed home but VAR, after another mind-numbingly long check, ruled it out by millimetres.

Teams

West Ham (3-4-3): Fabianksi, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Coufal, Rice, Soucek, Masuaku (Benrahma HT), Bowen (Noble 79), Antonio (Haller HT), Fornals Subs not used: Lanzini, Diop, Johnson, Randolph (gk).

Villa (4-3-3): Martinez, Cash (Elmohamady 88), Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Luiz, Hourihane (Traore 73), Trezeguet (El Ghazi 73), Watkins, Grealish Subs not used: Taylor, Ramsey, Nakamba, Steer (gk).