Aston Villa 1-4 West Ham United: David Moyes' side push their top-four credentials as they thrash 10-man hosts

West Ham pushed their top-four credentials as they thrashed 10-man Aston Villa to condemn them to a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat.

The result leaves David Moyes' side level on points with third-placed Manchester City in fourth, while Villa remain 15th, three points above the bottom three.

Ben Johnson opened the scoring for the visitors with a low drive into the bottom left corner from 18 yards after being picked out by Declan Rice's cross-field pass.

And Rice drove into the same corner to restore the Hammers' lead after Ollie Watkins had swept home an equaliser following good work from Emiliano Buendia near the byline.

Though Villa rallied and saw Watkins head against the bar from John McGinn's cross their hopes of taking anything from the contest were ultimately undermined by Ezri Konsa's dismissal for a foul on Jarrod Bowen, with the Hammers forward through on goal.

As they pressed forward for an equaliser, Pablo Fornals tapped in a third on the break and Bowen rounded off the scoring for West Ham with another close-range finish into an empty net after good work from Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini.

West Ham's victory epitomised their fine start to the campaign and saw them equal an eight-game unbeaten run on their travels in the top-flight dating back to November 1986.

Moyes' side building momentum

While there is still a considerable distance to go until prizes and European places are confirmed next May, momentum and hope appears to be building at West Ham.

Moyes' side have been excellent on three fronts this term, with a superb Premier League start, reaching the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and taking charge of their Europa League group with three straight wins.

And there is also a positivity and attacking impetus attached to his side that has perhaps not always been present in his previous jobs elsewhere.

Rather than sitting back at Villa Park they went straight after their out-of-sorts opponents and the likes of Bowen, Tomas Soucek and Antonio all had good opportunities to double their lead before the home side levelled.

Rice's goal owed a little to luck with Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez complaining that he had been unsighted by the England midfielder's effort from distance.

However, after Konsa's red card, they were thoroughly professional and eventually made their extra man count.

Villa, who started Leon Bailey for the first time and lost Jacob Ramsey to a first-half injury, will consider themselves unfortunate in moments but they were also far too passive early on, and with a man down, paid the price for having to constantly chase the game.

Player of the match

RiceDeclan Rice

Aston Villa

Squad number11Player nameWatkins

Squad number2Player nameCash

Squad number7Player nameMcGinn

Squad number19Player nameNakamba

Squad number1Player nameMartínez

Squad number10Player nameBuendía

Squad number31Player nameBailey

Squad number41Player nameRamsey

Squad number30Player nameHause

Squad number5Player nameMings

Squad number3Player nameTargett

Squad number18Player nameYoung

Squad number21Player nameEl Ghazi

Squad number4Player nameKonsa

West Ham United

Squad number41Player nameRice

Squad number20Player nameBowen

Squad number31Player nameJohnson

Squad number8Player nameFornals

Squad number28Player nameSoucek

Squad number10Player nameLanzini

Squad number3Player nameCresswell

Squad number9Player nameAntonio

Squad number4Player nameZouma

Squad number22Player nameBenrahma

Squad number1Player nameFabianski

Squad number21Player nameOgbonna

Squad number5Player nameCoufal

Squad number11Player nameVlasic

Line-ups

Aston Villa

Formation 4-3-3

1Martínez

2Cash4Konsa30Hause3Targett

7McGinn19Nakamba41Ramsey

10Buendía11Watkins31Bailey

Substitutes

West Ham

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Fabianski

31Johnson4Zouma21Ogbonna3Cresswell

28Soucek41Rice

20Bowen8Fornals22Benrahma

9Antonio

Substitutes

Live Text

Match ends, Aston Villa 1, West Ham United 4.

Second Half ends, Aston Villa 1, West Ham United 4.

Substitution, West Ham United. Vladimir Coufal replaces Pablo Fornals.

Substitution, West Ham United. Nikola Vlasic replaces Jarrod Bowen.

Foul by Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham United).

Ashley Young (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Attempt missed. Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.

Michail Antonio (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Foul by Marvelous Nakamba (Aston Villa).

Goal! Aston Villa 1, West Ham United 4. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Manuel Lanzini.

Goal! Aston Villa 1, West Ham United 3. Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner following a fast break.

Attempt saved. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Michail Antonio with a headed pass.

John McGinn (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card.

Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card.

Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Foul by Pablo Fornals (West Ham United).

Marvelous Nakamba (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Attempt missed. Matthew Cash (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Anwar El Ghazi.

Substitution, Aston Villa. Anwar El Ghazi replaces Leon Bailey.

Attempt saved. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

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