LONDON (Reuters) -West Ham United drew 1-1 with Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday, with Said Benrahma scoring from the penalty spot to cancel out Ollie Watkins’s early opener, lifting the London club back out of the relegation zone.
West Ham, who slipped into the bottom three after Everton’s and Bournemouth’s wins on Saturday, dominated the game but struggled to convert their chances. The result leaves them on 24 points in 17th place, while Villa remain 11th in the table.
“I think it should have been three points. We played a good game and had many chances but just couldn’t score. Obviously we need to get wins,” West Ham defender Kurt Zouma told Sky Sports.
“That was their only chance and they scored. We kept the focus and the belief to come back. We should have won but we got a point and need to move on.”
David Moyes’s side made a bright start at the London Stadium and almost took an early lead from a set play, but Nayef Aguerd dragged his shot wide in the seventh minute, with Benrahma then firing a volley over the bar.
West Ham were made to rue their early profligacy as Villa went in front with their first real attack of the game, as in-form Watkins rose highest to head home from Alex Moreno’s inch-perfect cross in the 17th minute.
That lead lasted just nine minutes, however, as Benrahma made amends by hammering his spot kick past Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez after a clumsy foul by Leon Bailey on Lucas Paqueta.
Goalscorers Benrahma and Watkins both had efforts saved before halftime, and the teams went into the break level.
Chasing a goal that would have earned them a third league win in 2023, West Ham pumped plenty of long balls forward and crosses into the box after the break.
Attackers Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen were constant threats throughout the second half, but Villa dug in defensively, with goalkeeper Martinez standing firm when called upon.
Villa also had a few chances on the break, most of which came to nothing, but substitute Jhon Duran missed a gilt-edged opportunity in the 89th minute, before West Ham’s Maxwel Cornet was guilty of doing the same at the other end deep into stoppage time.
The draw means Villa are now winless in their last 10 Premier League games against West Ham, since a 1-0 home win in May 2015.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Pritha Sarkar)
