Aston Villa 4-1 West Ham: Douglas Luiz at the double with Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey also on target as Unai Emery’s side thrash the Hammers to move two points off top spot

• Aston Villa cruised to a comfortable victory over West Ham at Villa Park 
• Douglas Luiz netted a double while Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey also scored
• The result sees Unai Emery’s side move just two points off the top of the table 

The sight of an England striker summoning thunderous force from within to leave the back of the net bulging felt fitting, given how Villa Park poignantly came together to remember Sir Bobby Charlton.

The sound of an entire stadium singing the name of that gentleman of the game sent shivers down the spine at the start of this match. By the end, Ollie Watkins had paid his own tribute in a way, using his weaker left foot to turn the ball into a blur as it whizzed beyond Alphonse Areola.

West Ham’s goalkeeper stood no chance as Unai Emery, nearing his one-year anniversary in charge of Aston Villa, wildly celebrated their rise to fifth in the Premier League in his technical area. David Moyes, meanwhile, wore the face of someone aghast and astonished.

Moyes was unbeaten in his last 14 Premier League clashes with Villa, having not lost since a 1-0 defeat with Everton in August 2010. That curse was lifted and then some here.

West Ham never turned up here. As well as Watkins’ blast, Douglas Luiz scored twice and Leon Bailey once. Luiz is the darling of Villa Park, having scored in six consecutive Premier League appearances here. 

Aston Villa thumped West Ham to move just two points off the top of the Premier League table

Douglas Luiz scored a brace to place Villa in cruise control before they cruised home to victory

Midfielder Luiz celebratedly wildly after netting the opener and paving the way to the big win

MATCH FACTS

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, McGinn, Kamara, Luiz, Zaniolo (Bailey, 76), Diaby (Tielemans, 86), Watkins

Substitutes: Olsen, Carlos, Traore, Chambers, Lenglet, Dendoncker, Kellyman

Goals: Luiz 30, 51 (P), Watkins 74, Bailey 89

Manager: Unai Emery

West Ham: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson, Alvarez, Soucek (Kudus, 67), Ward-Prowse, Paqueta (Ings, 86), Bowen, Antonio (Fornals, 90)

Substitutes: Fabianski, Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Kehrer, Mubama

Goals: Bowen 56

Booked: Emerson

Manager: David Moyes 

Not all heroes wear capes, read one flag in the Holte End, accompanied by a picture of the Brazilian. Turns out they wear claret and blue, for this was a heroic performance which tore apart a West Ham team who had been in respectable form this season.

Villa’s fans delivered their customary roar once David Coote blew his whistle to start the game and were applauding their goalkeeper’s heroics after 45 seconds. Lucas Paqueta fed Jarrod Bowen, who forced Emiliano Martinez into an instinctive save. 

Constantine Hatzidakis’s flag against Paqueta would have disallowed the goal for offside, but Martinez was not to know that.

In the 11th minute, a 25-yard curler from Luiz was destined for the top-right corner, only for a strong hand from Areola to divert it wide. 

The replays of that save, shown on the Villa Park big screen, drew admiration from both sets of supporters. Rightly so, too, for it was a ridiculous display of athleticism. Areola then caught Ezri Konsa’s back-post volley from the corner.

As Villa imposed themselves, the visitors retreated towards their own box. When Moussa Diaby’s pass evaded Kurt Zouma, Watkins had only Areola to beat, but he scuffed his shot wide.

In the 30th minute, Villa opened the scoring courtesy of their weakest chance thus far. Luiz tried a low drive which skimmed along the slick surface and through the gloves of Areola. 

The slight nick off Nayef Aguerd would do little to exonerate West Ham’s goalkeeper. This should have never beaten him, but it was 1-0.

Luiz coolly stepped up to take Villa’s penalty early in the second half and made no mistake

Ezri Konza was felled inside the box by Edson Alvarez, handing the hosts their spot-kick

Jarrod Bowen halved the deficit after his attempted effort fizzed in via a wicked deflection

Luiz immediately raced to the away end to give the visiting supporters the knee slide treatment – not the nicest memory for them to take back on their three-hour return trip to London.

Areola could not afford to dwell on his mistake as he was needed to nudge Watkins’ powerful attempt wide within the next minute.

As West Ham tried to get back into the game, one overhead kick from Paqueta went closer to the corner flag than the goal.

This was not his most majestic performance. Moyes confesses that Paqueta can drive him mad due to his maverick nature, and in the 50th minute, Paqueta played a part in Villa taking a 2-0 lead.

He tried to pass back to Edson Alvarez but it was short. Konsa got to it first, before he was bundled over by Alvarez. Penalty, said Coote. Luiz stepped up. 

It was him versus Areola, and for the second time this afternoon, the Villa midfielder scored.

Ollie Watkins restored Villa’s two-goal advantage after crashing home at the near post

The in-form striker was played away down the right and crashed beyond Alphonse Areola

Leon Bailey was brought on in the second half and sealed his own spot on the score sheet

Out of nowhere, it was 2-1 in the 56th minute. Bowen was surrounded by Villa shirts but tried his luck, a deflection off Lucas Digne sending the ball beyond Martinez. 

West Ham hoped VAR would assist them in the 65th minute when it looked like Konsa may have handled the ball in the area, but there would be no help from Stockley Park.

Instead, Villa made sure of the win with a classic counter-attack after Mohammed Kudus lost the ball in midfield to John McGinn.

His ball in behind left Watkins with Zouma between him and the goal, but the England striker blasted into the net for 3-1.

Villa were not done there. In the 89th minute, it was 4-1, with Leon Bailey making a mockery of Aguerd’s attempt at defending. Bailey cut inside after collecting Youri Tielemans’ pass, beating Areola to cap a superb showing by Villa and a disastrous day for West Ham.

Watkins squandered an earlier chance to score after pulling an effort wide of the far post

Lucas Paqueta looked to summon up a moment of magic but hooked an overhead kick wide

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