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WESTHAM 2-1 ASTONVILLA: BOWEN STARS AS THE HAMMERS BEAT VILLA TO CLIMB TO FIFTH ON THE LOG.

Jarrod Bowen’s header helped West Ham move up to fifth with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, who missed a penalty and had a late goal ruled out for offiside.

The Hammers took the lead in the second minute, Angelo Ogbonna climbing highest from a Bowen corner to send a towering header into the net.

With 25 minutes gone Jack Grealish’s on-target shot took a slight deflection off Ogbonna’s boot and flew into the West Ham net to make the score 1-1.

A minute after half-time, a fluent passing move from the hosts ended with Bowen flicking in a deft header following a cross from Said Benrahma, who made an impact only 30 seconds after coming on as a half-time substitute.

After Declan Rice fouled Trezeguet in the penalty area with 16 minutes remaining, Ollie Watkins crashed the resulting spot-kick against the crossbar.

Watkins did have the ball in the net in stoppage time but his effort was overturned for offside following a VAR review as West Ham claimed their third straight win.

West Ham climb to fifth on 17 points while Villa drop to 10th on 15 points.

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ASTON VILLA STUMBLE TO 1-2 LOSS TO BRIGHTON AT VILLA PARK.

Solly March’s brilliant second-half goal earned 10-man Brighton & Hove Albion a first win at Villa Park in an enthralling match.

Brighton took the lead against the run of play on 12 minutes with Danny Welbeck’s first goal for the club.

Welbeck collected Adam Lallana’s pass and sprinted clear before dinking the ball over Emiliano Martinez.

Villa equalised two minutes after half-time when a free-kick from Bertrand Traore, an early substitute for Ross Barkley, was converted by Ezri Konsa.

Brighton regained their lead on 56 minutes through March’s superb first-time strike.

In late drama, Tariq Lamptey was sent off for a second booking before Villa were awarded a penalty for a foul on Trezeguet by March.

But referee Michael Oliver overturned his decision after a review.

Villa stay sixth with 15 points. A second win of the season puts Brighton on nine points in 16th.

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ARSENAL 0-3 ASTONVILLA: WATKINS BRACE SINKS GUNNERS AT THE EMIRATES AS VILLA MOVE UP TO SIXTH.

Ollie Watkins scored two goals as Aston Villa maintained their 100 per cent away record with a 3-0 success at Arsenal.

The visitors started brightly and John McGinn had a first-minute strike ruled out by referee Martin Atkinson following a review.

But Villa went ahead on 25 minutes. Bukayo Saka tried to clear Matt Targett’s cross and, under pressure from Trezeguet, steered the ball into his own net at the back post.

And they got a deserved second on 72 minutes with a close-range header by Watkins from Ross Barkley’s superb delivery.

Watkins made the points safe only three minutes later, this time providing a crisp first-time finish following a driving run by Jack Grealish.

Villa’s win, their third on the road this campaign without conceding a goal, moves them up to sixth spot on 15 points, three clear of Arsenal in 11th.

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A.VILLA 3-4 SOTON: JAMES WARD-PROWSE SHINES ON BIRTHDAY AS SAINTS CLIMB TO THIRD ON THE LOG

James Ward-Prowse scored two free-kicks and got an assist as Southampton held off a late Aston Villa fightback for a 4-3 away win that sends them third.

Southampton had an early goal overturned for offside following a VAR review but went ahead on 20 minutes when Ward-Prowse’s cross was headed in by Jannik Vestergaard.

Ward-Prowse then netted from two superb set-pieces on a 26th birthday to remember for the Southampton captain.

In the second half Danny Ings crashed in a fourth Saints goal off the crossbar before the striker was forced off injured.

Tyrone Mings pulled one back for Villa from Jack Grealish’s cross and the hosts set up a nervy finish with two goals in stoppage time.

Ollie Watkins converted a penalty won by Grealish who then caught Alex McCarthy unsighted from long range.

But Southampton held on to make their best start after seven matches since 2014/15. Villa drop to sixth after back-to-back defeats.

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A.VILLA 0-3 LEEDS: BAMFORD HATRICK HELP WHITES DISRUPT VILLA PERFECT START.

Patrick Bamford’s hat-trick saw him create a little piece of history for Leeds as Aston Villa were denied top spot in the Premier League.

Bamford’s second-half treble saw the striker become only the second player to score in each of Leeds’s opening three away games in a top-flight league season, after Gordon Hodgson in 1937-38.

It took the 27-year-old to six Premier League goals for the season as Marcelo Bielsa’s team continued their impressive return to the top division.

Villa were chasing their own piece of club history, having never won their opening five league games of a season before. They still have not, and Friday night’s defeat saw them miss the chance to top the Premier League table for the first time since October 2001.

Bamford had a good early chance for Leeds but his diving header from Ezgjan Alioski’s deep cross from the left went narrowly wide.

A superb block by Ezri Konsa, throwing himself in front of Rodrigo’s driven shot, saw Leeds go close again shortly afterwards. From the resulting corner, Alioski sent another effort straight at Emiliano Martinez.

At the other end, Ross Barkley stung the palms of Illan Meslier with a shot from outside the penalty area.

Leeds enjoyed the better of the opening 25 minutes but Villa rode their luck and then had the best chance of the game so far.

Ollie Watkins’ low cross from the right side of the penalty area eluded Trezeguet in the centre and found Jack Grealish at the far post. The Villa captain got a good contact with his left foot as he turned the ball goalwards but Luke Ayling’s was on the goal-line to make the clearance.

Leeds survived a penalty scare late in the first half when Grealish went down under a challenge from Helder Costa just inside the area. Referee Paul Tierney waved away the appeals and his decision was supported by a VAR check.

A swift break by Jack Harrison saw him put Bamford in on goal with a lovely throughball but Konsa and Tyrone Mings did just do enough to put the striker off and he scuffed his shot wide.

Grealish was involved again at the start of the second half, almost opening the scoring with a sensational solo run. The 25-year-old collected the ball deep inside his own half before embarking on a driving forward run, riding challenges from three Leeds players on his way to the penalty area.

He took his time to work his way over to the right-hand side but with defenders sliding in all around him, but when he finally got his shot away it was straight at Meslier.

From the resulting corner Meslier then produced an acrobatic save to tip Konsa’s volley over the crossbar after he had beaten Ayling to the ball. It proved pivotal.

Despite Villa’s start to the second half, it was Leeds who went ahead after 55 minutes. Alioski and Harrison spearheaded a counter-attack, with the latter picking out the run of Rodrigo into the area. His effort was initially palmed away by Martinez, but Bamford was lurking to slot home the loose ball at the far post.

Leeds were in the ascendancy since going in front and doubled their lead shortly afterwards. It was Bamford again, curling a shot into the top corner of the net from just outside the area with unerring accuracy.

Bamford completed his hat-trick after 74 minutes, showing good feet to work a yard of space inside the penalty area before curling the ball beyond Martinez.

Leeds were creating chances at an alarming rate and Bamford had an opportunity for a fourth but looped his header into the goalkeeper’s arms, before Pablo Hernandez wildly blazed a shot over the crossbar when he had time and space to do much better.

Watkins had a sight of goal in stoppage time for a consolation goal for Villa but he dragged his effort wide.

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LEICESTER 0-1 ASTONVILLA: LATE BARKLEY WINNER HELP VILLA MAINTAIN 100% START TO THE SEASON.

A well-struck late winner from Ross Barkley maintained Aston Villa’s impressive 100 per cent start to the Premier League season at Leicester City’s expense.

Two of the Premier League’s early frontrunners looked set to cancel each other out in a competitive encounter in which chances were at a premium, as debutant defender Wesley Fofana impressed for the hosts.

Timothy Castagne was at the heart of Leicester’s best work early on before Villa’s Matt Targett sent a free-kick wide before half-time.

Esri Konsa put a header narrowly wide for the Villans nine minutes after the break as the visitors’ threat increased.

Soon after substitute Bertrand Traore sent a header straight at Kasper Schmeichel, Villa burst forward again in stoppage time and Barkley’s crisp shot found the bottom corner.

The win sends Villa second, on 12 points and one point behind leaders Everton, while Leicester are fourth on nine points.

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WATKINS SCORES HATRICK, GREALISH BRACE AS ASTON VILLA STUN LIVERPOOL IN 7-2 GAME

A perfect hat-trick from Ollie Watkins fired Aston Villa to second place after a sensational 7-2 win over champions Liverpool.

The Villans led after only four minutes when Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian conceded possession to Jack Grealish, who teed up Watkins for a simple finish.

Villa’s lead was doubled when Watkins cut in and slammed a shot into the top corner on 22 minutes.

Mohamed Salah’s smart shot reduced the deficit on 33 minutes but two minutes later, John McGinn’s deflected effort restored Villa’s two-goal cushion.

Watkins’ hat-trick header made the score 4-1 and 10 minutes after half-time, Ross Barkley added a fifth.

Salah pulled another goal back on the hour but Grealish’s double on 66 and 75 minutes completed the comprehensive victory.

Villa now have three wins from three while Liverpool are fifth, also on nine points.

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EVERTON SWEATING ON DEFENSIVE INJURIES AHEAD VILLA CLASH

Everton are sweating over the fitness of their major defenders with Mason Holgate bring the fresh victim after the defender missed training again today.


The Blues have been without the 23-year-old defender for the past two matches because of a shin injury picked up at Spurs over a week ago.
Holgate, who has become Everton’s first-choice centre-back since Carlo Ancelotti came to the club, has been sidelined for the games with Southampton and Wolves – and remains a major doubt for Thursday’s visit of relegation threatened Aston Villa.


Carlo Ancelotti will provide an update on Holgate’s chances of facing Villa, when he holds a virtual press conference on Wednesday afternoon. 
The Blues boss will also give greater clarity on the fitness of Andre Gomes who was ruled out of the Wolves game after picking up a knock on his ankle.


Yerry Mina was forced off after just 31 minutes of Sunday’s game at Molineux with an unspecified muscle injury and it remains to be seen if he will be fit for the Villa clash or given the time to fully heal and not rushed back.


Following the Wolves game, Ancelotti said: “Yerry had a muscular problem.
“Unfortunately, when you only have two days to recover, the player doesn’t recover properly and to have an injury like this can happen.

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ANOTHER VAR CONTROVERSY AT VILLA PARK AS MANCHESTER UNITED MAKE SPOT KICK RECORD

VAR took centre stage once more on Thursday night when a controversial first-half penalty was awarded to Manchester United during their encounter at Aston Villa.

Bruno Fernandes was involved in the major talking point at Villa Park, with the Portuguese winning a soft spot-kick which he then converted after treading on Ezri Konsa’s foot on the edge of the area before hitting the deck.

In winning the penalty United made it 13 spot-kicks for the 2019/20 Premier League season, equaling the record held by Leicester in 2015-16 and Crystal Palace in 2004-05.

It was a decision which left many bewildered, especially as it looked as though Fernandes had committed a foul on Konsa, as opposed to the other way round.

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel expressed his disbelief at the decision on Twitter writing: “I am sorry, but that was not a penalty. VAR continues to be a joke..

“What is the point of VAR when it doesn’t correct a clear and obvious refereeing mistake like that?”