Jack the glad as Villa just hang on
HE SCORES BUT ASSISTS LEVELLER IN NAIL-BITER
never have had in that game against Sheffield United — the first after the restart.
You will remember the VAR shocker — Orjan Nyland carried the ball not just over the line but behind the post, only for neither the video assistant nor Michael
Oliver to give it. But Villa could, conversely, say they have made their own luck.
There was Mings’ 90th-minute winner at home to Watford in January, the Grealish winner at Burnley three weeks earlier, the Boxing Day winner for Conor
Hourihane against Norwich and that 90th-minute goal for victory against Brighton in October.
The white-knuckle ride here encapsulated a campaign in which the leadership of Smith and John Terry has triumphed in adversity.
Smith, brought up a Villa fan, endured personal tragedy during the lockdown with the loss of his father Ron, aged 79, who had contracted Covid-19. Still he retained the strength to go back to work and inspire his men.
Among them Grealish, the Villa fan and captain about whom so much has been written this season. He appeared to have written his own headlines with a superb strike with just six minutes left.
Yet 60 seconds later his head was in his hands. Substitute Andriy Yarmolenko hit and hoped from the edge of theVilla box.The effort deflected off Grealish — of all people — and it looped over keeper Pepe Reina. Game on.
Bournemouth’s 3-1 lead at Everton meant a West Ham goal would have sentVilla down.
After the home side had disappeared down the tunnel, Smith, his staff and his squad remained in a huddle on the pitch.
They were waiting for results from Goodison and the Emirates where Watford had come back from 3-0 down to 3-2.
They need not have worried.The eruption of joy on the pitch will have lasted long into the night. WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 7; Johnson 7, Diop 7, Ogbonna 7, Fredericks 6; Noble 8 (Anderson 87), Rice 8; Fornals 7 (Lanzini 67, 6), Soucek 5, Bowen 8 (Yarmolenko 46, 6), Antonio 6 (Haller 46, 6). Goal: Yarmolenko 85. ASTON VILLA (4-3-3): Reina 7, Guilbert 6 (Hause 76), Konsa 6, Mings 9, Targett 5, McGinn 8, Douglas Luiz 6, Hourihane 7 (Nakamba 76), Trezeguet 5 (El Ghazi 90), Samatta 7 (Davis 67, 6), Grealish 8. Goal: Grealish 84.