THEY MUST BE NUTS
VILLA DUO EL GHAZI AND MINGS IN HEADBUTT SHOCK
ANWAR EL GHAZI thrusts his head into team-mate Tyrone Mings’ face as the Aston Villa pair are involved in an extraordinary clash during last night’s 0-0 draw with West Ham.
Of all the incidents that VAR will pore over this season, checking a potential red card for a headbutt between two team-mates can be filed under ‘bizarre’.
That clash, which saw Aston Villa’s Anwar El Ghazi nudge his head into Tyrone Mings, was the standout moment of a match in which West Ham missed the chance to go third.
Villa captain Jack Grealish dismissed it as ‘handbags’ and manager Dean Smith said the pair had shaken hands at half-time.
A win for West Ham would have taken them level with Manchester
City, who defeated them 5-0 on the opening day. In the end, they had to hold on with 10 men for 23 minutes after Arthur Masuaku committed a foolish foul when already booked and was sent off.
Yet with Manuel Pellegrini wanting to break into the top six, this was an opportunity missed.
‘It is a difficult stadium,’ said Pellegrini. ‘If you cannot win, it is not bad to draw. four games unbeaten. Tonight was our chance to be in a spot of the Champions League.
‘We couldn’t do it but I’m sure playing this way, we will continue to get points and win games.’
Smith knew what was coming when he came in to do his press conference. ‘I didn’t deal with it,’ he said of the clash between El Ghazi and Mings. ‘The players dealt with it swiftly.
‘El Ghazi has got a bit of red mist in him. There is a great togetherness, a great team spirit. The players dealt with it. That’s the group I’ve got.’
More than two weeks had passed since Villa’s loss to Crystal Palace but the sense of injustice was still raw. Villa thought they had salvaged a point at Selhurst Park, only for the referee to say no.
Smith had suggested beating West Ham would be the best way to get over that grievance. Take your anger out on them, he said, although Mings and El Ghazi must have got the wrong message.
Mings was furious with El Ghazi for failing to track back during a West Ham attack. The two briefly squared up and the Dutchman directed a slight headbutt towards the England defender.
Gareth Southgate was here to watch Mings but cannot have expected to see this. Mike Dean even went to VAR, although it was decided a talking-to would suffice. Another player Southgate would have been analysing was Grealish. Southgate said earlier this year that Grealish had to be playing in the Premier League to earn a call-up. He is here now.
He fired a ferocious cross into the box in the first half. Wesley, the £22million striker who joined in the summer from Club Bruges, could only head over from close range.
It was in the 35th minute when Dean had to play peacemaker after El Ghazi and Mings clashed.
Mark Noble was perhaps fortunate to still be on the pitch by half time. The West Ham captain had tried to win a cheap penalty when already on a yellow, but Dean ignored the apparent dive.
With Dean the man in the middle there was always a danger of the Premier League’s most flamboyant official making his presence felt. Sure enough, in the 67th minute Masuaku fouled Ahmed El Mohamady and a second yellow appeared. It was silly by Masuaku and left West Ham up against it. ASTON VILLA (4-3-3): Heaton 6.5; Guilbert 6, Engels 6.5, Mings 6, Taylor 6; GREALISH 7, Nakamba 6, McGinn 6; Jota 5.5 (El Mohamady 66min, 6), Wesley 6, El Ghazi 5.
Subs not used: Steer, Luiz, Lansbury, Hourihane, Ngoyo, Davis. Booked: Grealish, Mings. Manager: Dean Smith 6. WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 6.5; Fredericks 6, Diop 6.5, Ogbonna 6, Masuaku 6; Noble 6, Rice 6; Yarmolenko 5.5 (Fornals 62, 6), Lanzini 5.5, Anderson 5 (Zabaleta 69, 6); Haller 5. Subs not used: Jimenez, Balbuena, Snodgrass, Wilshere, Ajeti. Booked: Masuaku, Noble. Sent off: Masuaku.
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini 6. Referee: Mike Dean 6. Attendance: 42,010.