Mings & El Ghazi clash as Hammers finish with 10

ASTON VILLA failed to break down West Ham, despite Arthur Masuaku being red-carded for the visitors.

The point was enough to lift Villa out of the bottom three, but Tyrone Mings and Anwar El Ghazi brought a new meaning to the club’s relegation fight.

The team-mates amazingly squared up to each other in front of the Holte End in the first half.

Mings was fuming after conceding a corner and blamed the Netherlands winger for not covering back.

The bust-up left Villa assistant boss John Terry shaking his head in disbelief on the touchline.

Referee Mike Dean ordered the pair to calm down and even consulted VAR as to whether it merited a sending off.

Both men stayed on the field, but the official did eventually flourish his red card in the 67th minute after Hammers’ fullback Masuaku received two bookings.

Yet despite the dismissal, Dean Smith’s side failed to find the necessary cutting edge.

Villa skipper Jack Grealish (right) tried his best, but record £22million signing Wesley was caught offside too often.

And after spending a massive £130million on 12 new players, the Championship play-off winners still look short of firepower after a second successive blank.

Villa started the game positively, but West Ham had the first sight of goal when Bjorn REF: Engels had to make a good block from Andriy Yarmolenko’s shot.

The hosts tried to respond as John McGinn curled a left-foot finish into the net, but referee Mike Dean had already blown for a foul on Angelo Ogbonna.

Villa went desperately close to taking the lead in the 13th minute when Jota released Grealish down the right. The home skipper whipped in a right-foot cross which Wesley headed over at the near post six yards out.

West Ham also put a header wide in the 21st minute when Sebastien Haller got his head to Felipe Anderson’s cross, but could not keep it on target.

Home midfielder McGinn then worked Lukasz Fabianski with a shot from distance in the 33rd minute, but it was straight at the Hammers keeper.

Villa recovered their composure after the Mings-El Ghazi flashpoint as McGinn fired in a low shot from the top of the box, but Wesley was flagged offside and judged to be interfering with play.

After the break, the lively McGinn continue to drill in shots as he hit a low left-foot effort just wide.

While striker Wesley did well to control and hook a right-foot shot from the top of the box which Fabianski stopped.

Villa were handed a glorious chance to capture all three points when Masuaku saw red for a second booking for fouling Ahmed Elmohamady.

But despite enjoying more possession to put West Ham on the back foot, the visitors were still dangerous.

Mings had to make a superb block to block a fierce low shot from Haller inside the box.

And promoted Villa lacked a cutting edge in the final third to open up the Hammers, who would have gone third in the Premier League table with a victory.

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