Perhaps it’s a sign of class that he ended up winning the game after playing so badly, but Morgan Rogers endured a night he’d like to forget and scored a goal that slowed the momentum of the game. Aston Villa fans won’t care. Early signs of Graham Potter’s witchcraft.
West Ham United’s new manager held one training session with the players after signing a two-and-a-half year contract to replace Julen Lopegui on the eve of this match, but will now have to wait until next week’s Premier League match. Must be. We’ll see if they can pull Fulham and Crystal Palace out of the relegation zone.
But Lucas Paqueta’s early goal gave them an impressive lead, but Amadou Onana’s goal equalized Villa as they warmed up on a sub-zero night in the West Midlands. The Champions League side rallied to win their second FA Cup match in nine years.
While Villa celebrated their 150th anniversary wearing the black kits their predecessors played in, West Ham popped out wearing an unnecessary white away kit, but dragged Lopetegui out of his rabbit role. I didn’t recognize the team.
Potter may have only had one training session in his new role, but his impact on the game was immediate. Just 40 seconds had passed when Paqueta’s superb shot, at the end of West Ham’s flowing move initiated by Łukasz Fabianski, hit just wide of the post and close to the crossbar, allowing Robin Olsen to score. Defeated.
This was no fluke, as West Ham continued to take the lead and deservedly had a nine-minute lead. This goal mirrored Potter’s strategy, combining pragmatism with attacking precision. Max Kirman received the ball from Fabianski, played a deliberate pass to Niklas Fürkrug, who headed it back to Mohamed Kudus, who chested the ball and scored for Crisencio Somerville on the rise. Ta.
Graham Potter will form West Ham’s squad in front of Aston Villa manager Unai Emery. Photo: Mike Egerton/Pennsylvania
The former Leeds winger took a deliberate step forward before pulling a low, square pass to side-foot Paqueta home, away from Olsen’s momentum and back into the corner.
Emiliano Martínez, the world’s best, was left out as one of three substitutes in the team that beat Leicester 2-1 last weekend, as he had spoken of his desire to win the cup for Villa during the preparations for the match. The goalie must have been swearing. Not that there was much Olsen could have done.
But just 13 minutes in, Fürkrug pulled up as he sprinted forward for a long clearance, then immediately motioned for him to come down to the bench, which he dutifully did, clutching his hamstring. Former Villa striker Danny Ings has joined.
It was Villa’s 29th game of the season and the second of a packed January that included seven games across three competitions. It was a credit to the seven-time FA Cup winners that they started with such a strong line-up, but that was quickly curtailed when Ross Barkley injured his ankle and was replaced by Onana. .
Villa gradually gained the upper hand in the game and began to dominate the ball, but their passing and finishing were sluggish. West Ham defended strategically and Somerville played effectively as a right wing-back outside of Aaron Wan-Bissaka outside of possession.
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Somerville was treated during the first half and then sent off, but Vladimir Coufal came on at right-back, but this substitution left Potter’s mark as Wan-Bissaka rose high up the field from possession. remained everywhere. Three right behind Ings.
However, Villa improved as the game approached the final quarter, Youri Tielemans firing from the edge of the area, but Ian Maassen forced Fabianski to make his first save of the night in the 69th minute.
Emiliano Buendia, Kosta Nedeljkovic and Jacob Ramsey started and Onana equalized as manager Unai Emery prepared to call his substitutions for a final attack.
West Ham may complain that Villa should never have been awarded a corner kick in the first place. But Tyrone Mings flicked on from the delivery, Ezri Konsa parried the ball back, and Maassen’s shot was deflected by Tomas Soucek onto Fabianski, inviting Onana to stab the rebound home. Then the novel prospect of a third-round overtime beckoned, but only for a moment.
Villa came back strong, with Ollie Watkins running into the inside left channel to receive Buendia’s pass and the English striker perfected a low cross to his near post, allowing Rodgers to side-foot home from close range.
Villa were aiming for a strong finish to advance to the fourth round of this tournament, but Ramsey hit a shot that hit the post.
