Aston Villa player ratings vs West Ham: 3/10 ‘shocker’ & 9/10 standout star in comeback win

Morgan Rogers’ second-half brace roared Aston Villa to a 3-2 comeback victory away at West Ham United, keeping the Villans within close tabs of Premier League top two Arsenal and Manchester City.

Unai Emery’s side eventually came out on top to clinch a sixth successive Premier League win, but it certainly wasn’t easy as relegation battlers West Ham put up a good fight at the London Stadium.

The Hammers took merely 29 seconds to take a 1-0 lead as Mateus Fernandes skipped in to dispossess the dawdling Ezri Konsa before firing into the far top corner from a tight angle. Konstantinos Mavropanos’ own goal - diverted in from a John McGinn cross - then levelled the scoring eight minutes later.

West Ham edged themselves back ahead in the 24th minute as captain Jarrod Bowen improvised to poke home from a Freddie Potts volley, giving Villa a mountain to climb. But up stepped Rogers to restore parity for the visitors after half time, composing himself nicely to finish from a Youri Tielemans cross.

Rogers then won it for Villa with a terrific strike from distance, catching out Alphonse Areola off his line. The England international’s effort - reminiscent of his goal away at Tottenham Hotspur - dipped over West Ham’s goalkeeper to send the travelling supporters wild.

It was a sucker punch for West Ham, who saw a second Bowen goal ruled out for offside just a few minutes earlier. For a team fighting at the opposite end of the table, it was inexcusable to give up a lead twice – especially in such a scrappy encounter.

But Villa, charging on to make it 27 points out of the 27 last available, won’t care one bit as they had back to the Second City with a spring in their step despite not playing at their best.

Goalkeeper and defence ratings

Marco Bizot: Didn’t have his best game in the absence of the injured Emiliano Martinez, with just one save throughout. Bizot was beaten by Fernandes from a tight angle and he didn’t get close to Bowen’s effort for 2-1. 5

Matty Cash: Had mixed success up against Summerville as he won many of his duels but was beaten for pace on a couple of occasions. Cash was booked for tugging Summerville’s shirt in the first half, for instance. 6

Ezri Konsa: Gifted West Ham their opener as he was dispossessed far too easily in his own area. Konsa then played Bowen well onside for his goal when he could have stepped up quicker. A rare shocker, but a shocker nonetheless. 3

Victor Lindelof: Credited with the assist for Rogers’ winner thanks to his pass infield, Lindelof had a solid game on what was a rare start. Pau Torres is certainly a big miss but Lindelof filled in capably. 7

Ian Maatsen (off 75’): Maatsen provided decent width on the attack and stopped Wan-Bissaka from causing any real threat for West Ham on the overlap. 7

Midfield and attack ratings

Boubacar Kamara: Not the most comfortable afternoon for Kamara as there were many turnovers in midfield throughout. The Frenchman came out on top plenty, but he also lost more duels than he usually would. He was also booked for a foul on Summerville. 6

Amadou Onana (off 64’): Struggled to get involved in a scrappy first half. Used his physicality well at times but wasn’t able to assert enough control in midfield. 5

Youri Tielemans: Notched the assist for Rogers’ first goal with a great cross into the centre of the box and was Villa’s most creative player otherwise. Tielemans is thriving in the number 10 role. 8

John McGinn: Assisted Mavropanos’ own goal with a teasing cross and played a couple of decent passes in behind to the likes of Rogers and Malen. 7

Morgan Rogers: Won the game for Villa with two brilliantly taken goals, the first cushioned into the net after a Tielemans cross and the second a stunner from distance. Rogers, who missed a chance late on to complete his hat-trick, deserved his brace as he was Villa’s livewire throughout. 9*

Ollie Watkins (off 75’): Wasn’t credited with Villa’s first goal but was still the one to make the run, causing Mavropanos to head into his own net. Watkins did ruin a great Villa counter-attack in the first half, however, as he took forever to release the ball and was tackled before he could. The striker was unable to mark his 200th Premier League appearance with a goal. 6

Donyell Malen (on 64’): Stung Areola’s gloves with a fierce strike just moments after coming on and was a handful for West Ham’s defenders. This was key for Rogers’ winner as the hosts stood off, knowing Malen was making a run in behind. 7