West Ham would welcome Aston Villa in the evening Premier League kickoff on Saturday, August 17th 2024, with both sides having been very busy in the summer transfer window ahead of their respective campaigns.
First half goals from Onana (4') and Lucas Paqueta (Pen 37') would set the stage for a much better second 45 for the neutral, which saw Jhon Durán, who West Ham had a bid rejected from Villa for, score in the 79th minute.
Player of the Match
Amadou Onana
Amadou Onana would have a sensational debut for Aston Villa, getting an 8.2 rating overall and scoring in the fourth minute.
Onana would also go in for 15 duels over the 90 minutes and he remained a threat going forward throughout. Impactful.
Worst Player
Michael Antonio
Unfortunately Michael Antonio was unable to stamp his authority on the game during the 73 minutes that he spent on the pitch, and he would get a 5.4 rating overall for his performance.
With only 2 shots and 0 on target during the match, the Hammers will be hoping he can start finding the back of the net sooner rather than later if they hope to gain one of the European places this season.
Honourable Mention
Jhon Duran
Despite coming on as a substitute and only getting 28 minutes on the pitch, Duran was able to contribute massively, scoring late on and providing that spark going forward that helped Villa get the three points away from home.
Villa will be fighting on multiple fronts this year, and the likes of Duran will be vital if they are go advance in the Champions League as well as challenge again for a top 4 position in the Premier League
