Rogers Lifts Aston Villa Past West Ham in a Five-Goal Thriller as Their Title Charge Intensifies
Aston Villa produced another stirring comeback to defeat West Ham United 3-2 at the London Stadium, extending their Premier League winning run to six matches and strengthening their claim as genuine title contenders.
Aston Villa arrived in East London chasing momentum and left with a victory that once again demonstrated the resilience and firepower driving their remarkable season. On an emotional afternoon as West Ham honoured their late legend Billy Bonds, the hosts looked determined to match the occasion and struck inside the opening minute.
Mateus Fernandes pressed high, robbed Konsa near the byline and smashed into the roof of the net from a tight angle after just twenty nine seconds. It was the quickest Premier League goal of the campaign and the perfect lift for a side battling in the relegation zone. The Hammers played with confidence early on, but Villa soon found their footing.
John McGinn delivered a superb cross in the ninth minute that Ollie Watkins flicked goalward, the ball glancing off Mavropanos’ head and looping beyond Areola for the equaliser. The match settled briefly before West Ham reclaimed the lead in the twenty fourth minute. Potts unleashed a low strike from inside the box and Bowen, alert in the middle, redirected it past Bizot to restore the advantage.
Villa, however, are becoming experts at clawing back control. Five minutes into the second half, Tielemans led a sharp move down the right and threaded a pin-point pass into the penalty area. Morgan Rogers killed the ball with a velvet first touch and swivelled a smooth finish into the bottom corner, drawing the visitors level once more.
West Ham thought they had retaken the lead in the sixty eighth minute, but Bowen’s finish was ruled out for offside. It proved a crucial turning point. With the match stretched and spaces opening, Rogers drifted centrally in the seventy ninth minute, collected a simple pass from Lindelof and unleashed a dipping right foot strike from distance. Areola could only watch as the ball arced over him and into the side netting. It was a sensational goal and Rogers’ fifth of the league campaign.
The Hammers pushed late on, but Villa controlled the tempo and navigated the contest with composure. Summerville’s bursts down the flank and Potts’ midfield industry kept the hosts competitive, yet the visitors always carried more threat in decisive moments.
Despite outperforming their expected goals, West Ham remain eighteenth and continue searching for stability under Nuno Espirito Santo. Villa, meanwhile, close the gap on leaders Arsenal to three points, recording a sixth straight league win and further cementing their place among the season’s elite.
Unai Emery’s men now shift focus toward a demanding run of fixtures as pressure rises at the top end of the table. If Villa continue to marry character with finishing quality, the title conversation will not exclude them for long.
