Aston Villa player ratings after they rescued a point away to West Ham in a 1-1 draw thanks to a goal from substitute Nicolò Zaniolo.
After a poor first half, which saw Michail Antonio put the Hammers 1-0 up, things looked bleak for Unai Emery’s side.
With the club without captain John McGinn due to his red card at Villa Park last weekend, the visitors were really struggling.
However, Emery managed to change the game with a series of substitutions which led to Moussa Diaby squaring the ball to Zaniolo for a late equaliser.
West Ham thought they won it late on but their Villa were saved by VAR as they ruled a goal out in added time for handball.
You can see how we rated the players below in a dramatic game at the London Stadium.
GK – Emi Martinez – 6/10
Made a couple of vital saves early on to keep Aston Villa in the game. Antonio’s goal was unreachable for the ‘keeper with the diving header being buried in the bottom corner. Perhaps got lucky not to see Villa go 2-0 down at the start of the second half after Antonio’s second was chalked off after a mistake by the ‘keeper.
RB – Ezri Konsa – 5/10
Looked weak on the right side and was unable to cease West Ham’s dominance on the wing. Vladimir Coufal was able to put multiple good crosses into the area unchallenged, one of which directly led to the opener. Moved to a central position in the second period when he settled into the game better.
CB – Clement Lenglet – 5/10
Seemed uncomfortable playing out from the back against the Hammers’ high press. It was another poor performance from Lenglet as he continues to struggle for consistency. He was then taken off at half-time.
CB – Pau Torres – 6/10
Got caught out for Antonio’s goal as he pushed out and allowed him to stay onside. Improved as the game went on with West Ham barely creating an opportunity after the hour mark.
LB – Alex Moreno – 5/10
Struggled defensively. Hasn’t seemed like himself since his injury. Unai Emery may be considering giving Lucas Digne a run in the side.
RM – Leon Bailey – 7/10
Looked Villa’s most creative player throughout. Helped to push the visitors forward and completed a series of successful dribbles. Could have easily had an assist 75 minutes in with a fantastic cross which caused all sorts of problems. Was unlucky to be on the losing side.
CM – Youri Tielemans – 7/10
Got isolated at times in the first half due to West Ham’s press which resulted in him giving away the ball. A much-improved second half saw him far more involved both defensively and in attack producing numerous tackles to stop the host’s tempo
CM – Douglas Luiz – 6/10
Really stepped up in the second half to help Villa get back into the game. After the Hammers dominated the first half, the visitors managed to regain control of the game thanks to the Brazilian.
LM – Morgan Rogers – 5/10
Was ineffective in the first half. Rogers gave the ball away multiple times with poor passes or was simply dispossessed. A poor game from the youngster.
ST – Jhon Doran – 5/10
Couldn’t get on the ball in the first half with both the Villa forwards having poor service. Was then taken off at half-time after a largely ineffective cameo.
ST – Ollie Watkins – 6/10
Was isolated for the majority of the game and couldn’t get himself involved. This was a big problem for Emery’s side throughout as they couldn’t find their most dangerous man.
Sub – Matty Cash – 7/10
Offered Villa a real spark in attack after coming on which Villa really missed in the first half. Could have scored midway through the second period when he got himself in a good position. Saved a point late on with a sensational block.
Sub – Moussa Diaby – 7/10
One of many substitutes to have a game-changing impact. Diaby offered a real threat going forward and finally unlocked the defence late on and he squared the ball to Zaniolo for an equaliser.
Sub – Lucas Digne – 6/10
Helped to change the momentum of the game late on.
Sub – Nicolò Zaniolo – 7/10
The man of the moment. As Villa increased the pressure in search of an equaliser, they were looking for someone to find that vital touch. Then, late in the game, up stepped Zaniolo who fired the ball into the net to prevent back-to-back Premier League defeats.
