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Amadou Onana Shines in Aston Villa's 2-1 Victory Over West Ham
Prince Jean
Aug 18, 2024
Amadou Onana celebrates after scoring a powerful header during Aston Villa's 2-1 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium, marking a memorable debut for the Belgian midfielder. Credit:gettyimages
Aston Villa secured a hard-fought 2-1 win against West Ham at the London Stadium, with a standout performance from new signing Amadou Onana. The Belgian midfielder, who joined Villa in the summer transfer window, made an immediate impact, scoring his first Premier League goal in just four minutes.
Villa's early pressure paid off when Tomas Soucek conceded a corner, and Youri Tielemans delivered a pinpoint cross. Onana, rising above the West Ham defense, powered a header into the net, marking a dream debut for the former Everton star. His goal set the tone for a match in which Villa looked the more cohesive side, despite West Ham's heavy summer spending spree.
West Ham, under the new management of Julen Lopetegui, struggled to gel as a unit despite their extensive recruitment. Only Max Kilman and Guido Rodriguez from their new signings started the match, and the lack of chemistry showed. Villa capitalized on the disjointed play, with Leon Bailey nearly doubling their lead after rounding goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, only to see his effort strike the post.
The Hammers were handed a lifeline just before halftime when Matty Cash fouled Soucek in the box. Lucas Paqueta, amidst ongoing FA allegations of intentional bookings, took charge of the penalty and coolly converted, leveling the score at 1-1.
Unai Emery's tactical adjustments proved decisive. He substituted England international Ollie Watkins for Colombian striker Jhon Duran after 60 minutes. Duran, who had been linked with a move to West Ham during the transfer window, came back to haunt the Hammers. In the 79th minute, Jacob Ramsey's pull-back found Duran, who slotted home from close range, sealing the win for Villa and leaving West Ham to reflect on missed opportunities.
Despite West Ham's high-profile summer signings, including Germany's Niclas Fullkrug, it was Villa's Onana who stole the spotlight. His commanding presence in midfield and crucial goal earned Aston Villa an impressive start to the season, while West Ham's defensive woes from last season appear to persist.
