Aston Villa 4-1 West Ham United: Douglas Luiz scores twice as Villa move back to brink of top four

Aston Villa continued their positive type below supervisor Unai Emery by holding off West Ham to move back to the brink of the Premier League’s top four.

An entertaining first half, typical of the free-flowing soccer Emery has inspired at Villa Park, noticed Douglas Luiz open the scoring and the Brazil midfielder additionally transformed a penalty simply after half-time.

A deflected shot by Jarrod Bowen led to a nervy spell for the hosts, however England striker Ollie Watkins then fired in his eighth aim of the season for Villa.

Substitute Leon Bailey struck late on to wrap up an eleventh straight league victory at dwelling, Villa’s finest run since profitable 13 in a row after they had been reigning European champions in 1983.

Before Emery’s first recreation in cost, Villa had been sixteenth within the Premier League – one level off the relegation zone. But he steered them to European qualification final season and now they’re back inside some extent of the Champions League locations.

Douglas Luiz relishing Emery method

Several gamers have been revitalised by Emery’s arrival at Villa Park, together with Douglas Luiz. Previously seen as a holding midfielder, he scored three league objectives throughout Gerrard’s tenure, which lasted just below a yr.

But the adventurous, attacking formation that Emery has deployed – with three on the back and Matty Cash and Lucas Digne as wing-backs – permits Douglas Luiz the liberty to move right into a extra superior function.

The 25-year-old had already compelled West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to flip a shot huge earlier than scoring for a sixth league recreation operating at Villa Park.

Nicolo Zaniolo, helping an Italian investigation into alleged unlawful betting exercise, stays out there to Villa and the on-loan Italy winger minimize the ball back for Watkins, who in flip laid it off for Douglas Luiz to beat Areola with a 20-yard strike into the underside nook.

The partnership that Watkins and summer season signing Moussa Diaby have already struck up has additionally proved pivotal for Villa this season.

Before the sport they’d created 14 probabilities for each other within the Premier League this season – four greater than every other duo – and Diaby made two extra for Watkins within the first half.

Watkins dragged the primary effort huge from proper in entrance of aim earlier than unleashing a low strike from exterior the field that Areola had to palm into the side-netting.

Douglas Luiz doubled Villa’s lead, slotting a penalty down the center after Ezri Konsa had been fouled, earlier than Watkins, who scored his third aim for England throughout the worldwide break, made no mistake after latching on to John McGinn’s lengthy ball, firing contained in the close to publish.

For Villa’s fourth, Youri Tielemans fed the ball into fellow substitute Bailey, who confirmed neat footwork contained in the field earlier than curling contained in the far publish.

Paqueta poor for compatriot’s double

West Ham’s growth below David Moyes has additionally been extremely spectacular, if somewhat extra gradual.

After profitable the Europa Conference League final season, the Hammers have continued to look sharp and Bowen examined Emiliano Martinez within the first half of this tussle whereas Lucas Paqueta misplaced his bearings in a very good place and despatched an acrobatic overhead kick away from aim.

But the Brazilian, who virtually joined Manchester City in the summertime, switched off as he let compatriot Douglas Luiz get a free run in direction of aim to rating the opener.

Just after half-time, a free go backwards from Paqueta allowed Konsa to nip in entrance of Edson Alvarez, who introduced down the Villa defender for the penalty.

Bowen gave the Hammers hope as a speculative effort resulted in his one centesimal profession aim for a league membership – his first additionally got here at Villa Park in August 2017, incomes Hull a 1-1 draw within the Championship.

Cash turned a Nayef Aguerd effort behind as the guests briefly threatened an equaliser, however they had been unable to keep away from a 3rd league defeat – their first two had been towards Manchester City and Liverpool.