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| Aston Villa end six-game losing streak with goalless draw at West Ham | Aston Villa end six-game losing streak with goalless draw at West Ham |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Seasoned West Ham United supporters had seen this coming. The club were riding the crest of a wave, playing slick, winning football and inspiring talk of Europe. Before the kick-off, there had been the announcement of manager and player of the month awards for Sam Allardyce and Diafra Sakho respectively while Aston Villa were on their worst run of form since the 1960s. So the subsequent stalemate was inevitable. | |
| There was nearly a fairytale twist. Brought on as an injury-time substitute for his first game of the season, after ankle ligament damage, Andy Carroll’s first touch was to meet Stewart Downing’s cross with a thumping header that drew a stunning, reaction save from Brad Guzan. Paul Lambert, the Aston Villa manager, called the goalkeeper’s intervention world class. | |
| West Ham came on strong towards the end, with Sakho blowing two headed opportunities and Carl Jenkinson another. Allardyce felt that Jenkinson’s chance in the 89th minute from another Downing cross – he could not generate any power from six yards out – was the clearest opportunity. There was even time for Carroll to work Guzan again from yet another header. | West Ham came on strong towards the end, with Sakho blowing two headed opportunities and Carl Jenkinson another. Allardyce felt that Jenkinson’s chance in the 89th minute from another Downing cross – he could not generate any power from six yards out – was the clearest opportunity. There was even time for Carroll to work Guzan again from yet another header. |
| Allardyce said his switch from a diamond midfield formation to 4-2-3-1, which meant Downing moved from the middle to the left flank, was the prompt for West Ham to threaten the breakthrough. Yet the late flurry apart, it was pretty forgettable fare. With Arsenal not playing until Sunday at Swansea, West Ham edged into fourth place but the over-riding emotion for them was frustration. | Allardyce said his switch from a diamond midfield formation to 4-2-3-1, which meant Downing moved from the middle to the left flank, was the prompt for West Ham to threaten the breakthrough. Yet the late flurry apart, it was pretty forgettable fare. With Arsenal not playing until Sunday at Swansea, West Ham edged into fourth place but the over-riding emotion for them was frustration. |
| “Villa are a frustrating team to break down but we did break them down several times,” Allardyce said. “We just couldn’t break down the goalkeeper. I was disappointed with our finishing.” | |
| The happiness belonged to Lambert, who talked of a “great” and “deserved” point, which lifted a small portion of the gloom that had built after six consecutive Premier League defeats. Without the suspended Christian Benteke, Villa threatened only sporadically, but Lambert could salute the resilience of the performance with some justification. Ron Vlaar and Nathan Baker put their bodies on the line in central defence – Baker was injured in the 86th minute and was taken off on a stretcher – and then there was Guzan, who refused to be beaten. | The happiness belonged to Lambert, who talked of a “great” and “deserved” point, which lifted a small portion of the gloom that had built after six consecutive Premier League defeats. Without the suspended Christian Benteke, Villa threatened only sporadically, but Lambert could salute the resilience of the performance with some justification. Ron Vlaar and Nathan Baker put their bodies on the line in central defence – Baker was injured in the 86th minute and was taken off on a stretcher – and then there was Guzan, who refused to be beaten. |
| The pattern was established early on; West Ham pressing on to the front foot and Villa looking to remain compact and plunder something on the counter. Their lack of goals has been a serious problem – they have five for the season – and they created little of clear-cut note, apart from a couple of first-half flurries. | The pattern was established early on; West Ham pressing on to the front foot and Villa looking to remain compact and plunder something on the counter. Their lack of goals has been a serious problem – they have five for the season – and they created little of clear-cut note, apart from a couple of first-half flurries. |
| Gabriel Agbonlahor, who played up front in Benteke’s absence, skated past James Collins after a loose pass by Mark Noble but he shot wildly while Andreas Weimann jinked and belted straight at Adrián after a burst from Charles N’Zogbia. | Gabriel Agbonlahor, who played up front in Benteke’s absence, skated past James Collins after a loose pass by Mark Noble but he shot wildly while Andreas Weimann jinked and belted straight at Adrián after a burst from Charles N’Zogbia. |
| Downing, a former Villa midfielder had West Ham’s best moments in the first-half. His fierce shot on 22 minutes after good work by Sakho stung Guzan’s palms while he sliced another effort wide when well-placed. Collins thudded a header at Guzan from Downing’s corner and Noble had a shot blocked by Vlaar. Guzan also came for, and missed, a high ball and he was fortunate that Sakho’s header was off-target. | Downing, a former Villa midfielder had West Ham’s best moments in the first-half. His fierce shot on 22 minutes after good work by Sakho stung Guzan’s palms while he sliced another effort wide when well-placed. Collins thudded a header at Guzan from Downing’s corner and Noble had a shot blocked by Vlaar. Guzan also came for, and missed, a high ball and he was fortunate that Sakho’s header was off-target. |