Aston Villa and West Ham United played out a thrilling 1-1 draw at Villa Park, with both sides left to rue missed chances.
Jacob Ramsey’s early strike set the tone for a pulsating contest, but Emerson’s second-half header rescued a point for the visitors.
Villa made a start and found the breakthrough in the eighth minute. Jacob Ramsey crashed into the box after a clever one-two with Ollie Watkins, placing a left-footed finish past Alphonse Areola.
The hosts almost doubled their advantage moments later but Watkins’ header from Watkins’ free-kick narrowly missed the target.
Villa continued to pile on the pressure, with Leon Bailey and Boubacar Kamara also testing Areola.
West Ham struggled to find rhythm in the opening 45 minutes but had a few minutes of their own. Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus were alive, with the latter forcing a crucial block from Tyrone Mings.
Emerson’s header ends the game in a draw at Villa Park ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/gsh66tr5yt
– West Ham United (@Westham) January 26, 2025
The Hammers’ best chance came when Lucas Paqueta fired over after a scramble. An injury to Mings towards the end of the half, however, cast a shadow over Villa’s strong performance.
Trailing 1-0 at the break, the visitors came out with renewed intent. Villa’s defensive resilience was tested, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s marauding runs causing problems down the flank.
Kudus and Alvarez had efforts blocked, while Paqueta’s header highlighted the Hammers’ growing desperation.
In the 70th minute, West Ham found their equaliser. A quick move involving Wan-Bissaka, Kudus and Alvarez culminated in the latter delivering a beautiful cross. Emerson got to The Far Post to flick the ball past Emiliano Martínez and into the far corner, sparking wild celebrations among the away fans.
The final 20 minutes saw end-to-end action as both sides pushed for a winner. Villa substitute Jhon Duran had a golden chance but dug his shot wide after latching on to a loose ball.
Moments later, former Villa striker Danny Iings almost turned the game in West Ham’s favor with a low drive that flashed just wide of the post.
Emiliano Buendia and Villa’s Tielemans went close, with the Half-Volley equalizing over the bar. Paqueta, struggling through injury, remained a threat for West Ham, setting up a chance for Tomas Soucek, whose header went wide.
The seven minutes of added time only added to the drama. Villa’s Buendia sent a half-volley at the end of Holte, while Paqueta’s valiant efforts to chase down a winner came to nothing.
