Aston Villa secured a thrilling 3-2 victory against West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday, further solidifying their position as serious contenders in the Premier League title race. In a game filled with twists and turns, Morgan Rogers emerged as the hero for Villa, scoring a second-half brace to complete a stunning comeback.
The match began with a bang as West Ham's Mateus Fernandes capitalized on an early error by Ezri Konsa to put the Hammers ahead within the first 30 seconds. Fernandes dispossessed Konsa inside the penalty area and fired a shot past Marco Bizot, marking the fastest goal of the Premier League season thus far. However, Villa responded swiftly. In the 9th minute, John McGinn's cross was met by Ollie Watkins, and his header deflected off West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos into his own net, leveling the score.
West Ham regained the lead in the 25th minute through Jarrod Bowen, whose deflected volley found the back of the net. Freddie Potts' volley was redirected by Bowen, leaving Bizot with no chance. The goal was initially reviewed by VAR for a potential offside, but it was eventually allowed to stand.
In the second half, Aston Villa emerged with renewed vigor. Morgan Rogers leveled the score at 2-2 in the 50th minute, capitalizing on a loose ball after Lucas Paqueta was dispossessed. Rogers calmly controlled the ball from Youri Tielemans' cross and slotted it past Alphonse Areola. Rogers then sealed the victory in the 79th minute with a stunning strike from outside the box. His dipping, bending effort flew past Areola, giving Villa the lead for the first time in the match.
Despite West Ham's efforts to find an equalizer, Villa held on to secure the win. A late goal from Bowen was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. The victory marks Aston Villa's ninth win in their last ten league games, and their fifth in a row. This win leaves Unai Emery's men just one point behind the leaders and five clear of fourth-placed Chelsea. This win also marked the first time since 1996 that Aston Villa have won on consecutive visits to West Ham.
Aston Villa's ability to come from behind twice in this match demonstrates their resilience and determination, key attributes for any team with title aspirations. While they may not have played their best game, their hunger and ability to find a way to win were evident. West Ham, on the other hand, will be disappointed to have lost after leading twice, as they continue their battle against relegation.
