Aston Villa 4-1 West Ham: Douglas Luiz goals help Villa go fifth as they make it 11 home wins in a row in Premier League

Douglas Luiz scored twice as Aston Villa moved within two points of top spot in the Premier League with a 4-1 win over West Ham at Villa Park.

Douglas Luiz’s low drive late in the first half proved too hot for Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, giving Unai Emery’s side the lead their enterprising display deserved. He added a second from the penalty spot early in the second half.

David Moyes’ men made things more difficult for Aston Villa after Jarrod Bowen’s deflected goal found the corner of the net. But late goals from Ollie Watkins and substitute Leon Bailey ensured Villa won their 11th consecutive Premier League title.

“We want to be in the top five,” Emery had said Air sports before kick-off, with such a finish likely to be enough to secure Champions League football next season. As it stands now, that’s exactly where they are in the table. And upwardly mobile under the Spaniard.

How the match played out at Villa Park

The afternoon began with a moment of silence for the innocent victims of the Israel-Hamas war and heartfelt applause in celebration of the life of Sir Bobby Charlton, who died on Saturday at the age of 86. What followed was an entertaining match.

Villa had the best ball possession from the start. Luiz forced a spectacular save from Areola early on and Watkins dragged his shot wide of the target when he was well placed shortly afterwards. But the home side got the reward for their superiority before half-time was over.

Nicolo Zaniolo, who started while assisting a betting inquiry, did brilliantly to find Watkins in the West Ham penalty area and the Villa striker found Luiz in space on the edge of the box. Areola could not keep out the Brazilian’s low goal.

That seemed to unleash an otherwise passive West Ham and there were chances for Lucas Paqueta and Bowen before the break with Villa’s high line providing plenty of encouragement. But early in the second half, hope seemed extinguished.

Paqueta’s late pass allowed Ezri Konsa to intercept the ball for Edson Alvarez and the referee pointed to the spot. Luiz did the rest and beat Areola with his penalty. The midfield playmaker has now scored in his last six Premier League appearances at Villa Park.

The mood then changed in an instant. Bowen’s strike from distance into the corner that deflects into the bottom corner of the net off Pau Torres. It brought the tension back into the match and West Ham had their best period as they pushed for a previously unlikely equalizer.

There were groans in a tense atmosphere when Torres’ loose pass appeared to find its way into the path of West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus. But the substitute failed to maintain control and John McGinn was able to send Watkins clear down the left channel to score.

It was an emphatic finish from the England forward and ultimately an emphatic win for Aston Villa thanks to Bailey’s late strike. They have the fourth best record in the Premier League since Emery’s arrival. No wonder they dream of the Champions League.

Bailey: ‘For us the sky is the limit’

“The atmosphere today was great,” Bailey said Air sports.

“Not even for us, for the fans. They can come to the stadium and enjoy getting a win. We are getting the results and hope it stays that way.”

“The team spirit among everyone is great, whether you start or come in. We even carry out the instructions for players from the bench. I did that with a beautiful goal.”

“The sky is the limit for us. Let’s just move on to the next one, an important game on Thursday, and focus on what lies ahead.”

Villa’s victory in numbers

• Aston Villa have won eleven consecutive home league matches for the first time since a run of 13 that ended in October 1983. The only clubs in Europe’s five major leagues currently winning longer series at home are Manchester City (14) and Atletico Madrid (13). .
• Douglas Luiz became the first player to score in six consecutive home games for Aston Villa in the Premier League, surpassing the record previously held by Dwight Yorke.
• Jarrod Bowen became the third player in Premier League history to score in each of his team’s first five away games in a season, after Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah. Bowen is the first player to do so for West Ham in the top flight.
• Ollie Watkins has been directly involved in 27 goals in his 33 appearances for Aston Villa in the Premier League since Unai Emery’s first game in charge. Only Mohamed Salah (35) and Erling Haaland (33) have contributed to more goals in this time.

What’s next?

Both Aston Villa And West Ham are in European action mid-week.

Aston Villa travel to AZ on Thursday in the Europa Conference League; starting at 5.45 pm. West Ham are also on the road on Thursday when they travel to Greece to face off Olympiacos; Also starting at 5:45 p.m.

Meanwhile, when the teams return to domestic action, Villa will host Luton on Sunday, October 29; kick-off 2pm, and West Ham host Everton on Super Sundaylive on Air sports; starting at 1 p.m.

Sunday, October 29, 12 noon

Kick-off 1:00 PM