Aston Villa 2 West Ham 1: Graham Potter delight turns to despair as Villans reach FA Cup fourth round with comeback win
MORGAN ROGERS ended Graham Potter’s hopes of a magical return to football management.
The Aston Villa forward completed an impressive comeback after sub Amadou Onana had equalised five minutes earlier.
But there was controversy about Onana’s goal – it came from a corner which should never have been given as it did not hit a West Ham players.
Hammers’ players were at ref Tim Robinson who waved away their protests.
Villa used the goal as a springboard to complete a third round victory.
But it had all looked so different for new Hammers boss Potter after Lucas Paqueta had opened the scoring after nine minutes.
With Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on ITV 2 – and the ex-Brighton boss doing the business on ITV1 it looked like there was wizardy all round.
But Villa had other ideas – and after an hour when the FA Cup looked low on their agenda his season, they conjured up a rousing finish on a night when they celebrated the 150th anniversary of their first game.
They wore a one-off, commemorative all-black shirt – their original look before adopting the now familiar strip.
But it was never going to be a claret and blue derby as West Ham chose white shirts.
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As opposed to the Harry Potter film, this was definitely a black and white movie – and Villa finished with flying colours, albeit with a stroke of luck courtesy of the officials.
They also avoided an unwanted record.
They went into the game knowing failure to win meant they would match the longest run of home defeats – non-league excepted – in FA Cup history, with Rotherham having seven losses in a row between 2002 and 2007.
That included defeats to Stevenage and Peterborough United.
For a while, it looked like that would happen – but Potte’s new side could not see the game out.
He clearly has work to do and the Hammers’ early product suggested they can be a more adventurous side.
Potter returned after a 21-month absence from management – against the side who sent him packing from Chelsea.
His last match there was a 2-0 home defeat to Villa.
The fact that his first game in charge of West Ham was Villa away meant he had come full circle.
But he was clearly keen for a new start, applauding the travelling fans as he emerged from the tunnel – and clapping every positive move from his new side.
And Hammers showed their intentions inside 50 seconds when Paqueta went close from 20 yards out.
But it did not take long for Potter’s men to make their mark.
They took the lead when a ball from the halfway line from Mohammed Kudus found Crysencio Summerville on the right.
He picked out Pacqueta whose perfectly placed shot well-placed shot found the net for the Brazilian’s first goal in a month.
Both sides then saw key players forced off injured.
Niclas Fullkrug limped off to be replaced by ex-Villa striker Danny Ings
Villa then lost Ross Barkley after 23 minutes and he was replaced by Onana.
The game settled after that but a low Kudus shot was saved by Robin Olsen – in for the injured Emi Martinez.
Villa offered little before the break, perhaps a hectic January schedule was on their minds.
Unai Emery’s men face two Champions League games against Monaco and Celtic – as well as key Premier League matches.
But that did not stop Hammers fans reminding Villa they won the Europa Conference League a year before Emery’s bid ended at the semi-final stage.
They sang: “Champions League, you’re having a laugh”.
For while, they could enjoy themselves instead of seeing their team ship goals against the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
That was beforte Villa finally found their form,.
Unai Emery’s side threatened at the start of the second half, but with no cutting edge.
Too many of their important players were having an off-night – with mis-placed passes hindering their attempts to get back on level terms.
But Villa began to step it up and Ian Maatsen’s shot flew towards goal as keeper Lukasz Fabianski was forced into a rare save with 22 minutes left.
That lifted Villa and they levelled the tie through Onana after 70 minutes.
Again Maatsen was involved and this time, Fabianski could not hold on to the Dutchman’s shot.
The ball fell at the feet of Ollie Watkins – but it was Onana who poked the ball home from close range.
Paqueta went down after getting tangled up with Ezri Konsa – but ref Robinson saw nothing wrong with that either as Hammers’ players pointed the error in awarding a corner in the first place.
Suddenly Villa were in charge – and they took the lead after 76 minutes.
Watkins broke clear on the left and found Rogers with a pinpoint cross that Villa forward tucked away for his of the seventh goal of the season.
This was rampant stuff from Villa now and sub Jacob Ramsey shook the woodwork from 18 yards out.