WAT A LET- OFF
Ollie’s double agony sees Moyes march on
No one suffered more in the Aston Villa ranks than poor Ollie Watkins.
First the former Brentford striker missed another penalty – he has now wasted four of the six spot- kicks he’s taken in English league football.
And then after getting on the end of a Matt Targett cross, Watkins saw his s 92nd- minute ‘ equaliser’ ruled out by the tightest of VAR calls.
Moyes was mocked, belittled and written off by many when he returned to West Ham, even after keeping them up last season.
But his team are flying and it was a double substitution by their manager at half- time that swung this game in West Ham’s favour.
Jack Grealish had equalised for Villa after Angelo Ogbonna gave the
Hammers an early lead with his first goal in a year.
But Moyes changed things around at the break and both of his subs combined to set up a goal for Jarrod Bowen.
Four months ago, this fixture was played between a West Ham team who had just clinched survival and a Villa one still fighting for theirs.
But with Antonio returning to the starting line- up last night, it didn’t take long for the Hammers to get going.
Bowen swung in a corner and Ogbonna towered over Targett to head them in front in one minute and 50 seconds.
In response, Conor Hourihane forced Lukasz Fabianski into a flying save with a curling free- kick before the captain came good for Villa.
Grealish had some help from a wicked deflection off Ogbonna which deceived Fabianski but he had unsettled West Ham with his movement.
And Villa ended the half the stronger team, with Hourihane hitting the side netting from another free- kick.
Moyes was not happy and tore up his game- plan at half- time by throwing on Said Benrahma and Sebastien Haller and changing his side’s shape.
It worked, with Haller involved before
Bowen glanced Benrahma’s cross past Emiliano Martinez to restore the home side’s lead.
Villa continued to threaten and Trezeguet should have scored twice before Declan Rice gave away a penalty for a shirt pull on the Egyptian.
But Watkins smacked the crossbar with his spot- kick and then saw his last- gasp ‘ goal’ chalked off too.