West Ham’s win over Villa most impressive yet
By Louis Pye
West Ham cemented their place in the race for European football next season with a fine win over fellow surprises packages Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
Two goals from on-loan debutant Jesse Lingard, along with an opener from Tomas Soucek secured what was a much-deserved victory as they quickly brushed off Sunday’s defeat to reigning champions Liverpool.
And given that particular defeat was only three days beforehand, the win against Villa has a case to be arguably West Ham’s most impressive three points of the season so far.
It would have been easy for heads to drop given the nature of the lacklustre performance against the Reds, but David Moyes clearly did not let that happen, which highlights the attitude and mentality that he has brought to the club since his arrival just over a year ago.
West Ham against ‘the other 14‘ this season: 15 played – 11 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss.
Many Irons fans would have been content with only a point away at a resurgent Aston Villa side – one who, like West Ham, look like a completely different outfit to the team who narrowly escaped relegation last season – but Moyes had different ideas and produced a gameplan that nullified the home side – and in particular star man Jack Grealish – whilst playing fast and attractive football when West Ham possessed it.
Sticking Ryan Fredericks on the right-wing was a questionable call by the manager but it in fact turned out to be a stroke of genius as the pairing of him and the ever-impressive Vladimir Coufal did not give Grealish any time to breathe, so much so that it forced Dean Smith into moving the England international to the other side of the pitch.
With two relegation candidates in Fulham and Sheffield United up next in the league, given how dominant the Hammers have been over the supposed “non big-six” this season, it is a fantastic chance for the club to climb even higher in the table, and maybe, just perhaps, will others then start to realize that West Ham has earned their right to be up in upper echelons of the Premier League.
dark. Next. West Ham claim the claret bragging rights as Lingard stars on debut
Equally, however, Moyes and fans alike will be just as happy to keep progressing through the ranks under the radar without anybody taking West Ham too seriously. Then, by the conclusion of the season, outsiders may well just be in for quite a surprise.