Ayew rescues point for Villa

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26 Dec 2015

A Jordan Ayew penalty helped bottom-of-the-table Aston Villa come from behind to earn a draw against a West Ham team which has not won since 24 October.

In an evenly contested game, Villa twice went close in the first half through Rudy Gestede before Aaron Cresswell scored with a low strike.

The spirited hosts levelled through Ayew after Gestede was clumsily felled by Angelo Ogbonna.

As Villa searched for the winner, Alan Hutton went close with a header.

But the right-back's effort was cleared by James Collins as West Ham held on for their fifth successive draw to remain ninth in the league.

How the action unfolded, pictures and the best of social media

Garde remains winless

Villa have now battled back to earn a point in successive league matches, but Remi Garde's team desperately need to start collecting three points if they are to overcome the odds and maintain their Premier League status.

Garde has yet to oversee a Villa victory since succeeding Tim Sherwood as manager at the beginning of November, although there may be some solace in the desire his side displayed against a well-organised West Ham side despite falling behind just before half-time.

The grim reality, however, is that Villa have not won since the opening day of the season and are now 10 matches without a win at Villa Park and nine points from safety.

Only three of the previous 23 sides who were bottom of the Premier League on Christmas Day have avoided relegation, although the last two sides in that position - Leicester in 2014 and Sunderland in 2013 - did both survive.

Hammers masters of the draw

Although Villa fans might look at their mid-table rivals with envy, Slaven Bilic's side are enduring a slump of their own slump after promising early-season form.

The Londoners' winless run has coincided with the absence of the injured Dimitri Payet - scorer of five goals in an impressive start since his arrival from Marseilles - and the France international's return in the New Year will be welcomed by Bilic's injury-hit side.

West Ham are defensively sound - enjoying three successive clean sheets prior to this match - but currently lack cutting edge in front of goal.

Not many sides would have been as obliging as Villa in giving Cresswell the freedom to roam down the left, before cutting inside and striking low into the far corner from the edge of the box to end West Ham's 388-minute goal drought.

The Hammers had their chances, with Cheikhou Kouyate hitting the crossbar before Cresswell opened the scoring, but a draw was a fair result as the visitors' verve died away after the break and the hosts came back into it.

Man of the match - Jordan Ayew

Gestede was instrumental for Villa, but it was Ayew who led the hosts' attack and scored a great penalty to give his team hope of survival. The 24-year-old summer signing has now scored five goals for Villa in nine games and was adventurous and industrious.

What the managers said

Aston Villa boss Remi Garde: "I knew this game was crucial for us. I wanted to win. A draw was not the goal for this game.

"We only missed the points. What we put into this game was probably the best we can do. I think we deserved more than we got. I am frustrated and also a bit sad for my players.

"We are still in a very bad position but when I see my team play it's very encouraging. The performance we gave was not a bottom one. We have to score goals and be more efficient in the offensive parts."

West Ham chief executive Karen Brady, a former managing director of Birmingham City, was at Villa Park

The stats you need to know

Aston Villa are now winless in 17 Premier League games - only four teams have ever had a longer run in the division (Derby 32, Sunderland 26, Norwich 21 and Nottingham Forest 19 - QPR also had a run of 17).
West Ham have recorded five successive top-flight draws for the first time since October 1968.
Aaron Cresswell scored his first Premier League goal since April and his first for the Hammers away from Upton Park.
Aston Villa have won just one of their past 15 games on Boxing Day (Won 1, Drawn 5, Lost 9).
The Hammers have earned 16 points on the road so far this season, the same tally as in the whole of last season.

What next?

Prior to this match, Garde had said his team needed "at least 10 victories" from their remaining 21 matches to avoid relegation, and one of those victories must surely come against fellow strugglers Norwich on Monday.

On the same day, West Ham will hope to end their eight-match winless run against a Southampton side three places below them in the table.

Lineup, Bookings (6) & Substitutions (5)

Aston Villa

01 Guzan
21 Hutton Booked
05 Okore
16 Lescott Booked
07 Bacuna Booked
15 Westwood
24 Sánchez (Gil - 38' )
08 Gueye
17 Veretout (Traoré - 83' )
39 Gestede
19 J Ayew

Substitutes

06 Clark
09 Sinclair
18 Richardson
20 Traoré
25 Gil
31 Bunn
40 Grealish

West Ham United

13 Adrián
05 Tomkins (Jenkinson - 45' )
19 Collins Booked
21 Ogbonna Booked
03 Cresswell (Song - 75' )
14 Obiang
08 Kouyaté Booked
30 Antonio
16 Noble
10 Zárate (Oxford - 85' )
11 E Valencia

Substitutes

01 Randolph
04 Song
12 Jenkinson
33 Hendrie
35 Oxford
39 Cullen
40 Parfitt-Williams

Ref: Mike Dean

Att: 38,193

Match Stats

Possession 59 41

Shots

15 10

On target

8 4

Corners

9 6

Fouls

14 13

Live Text Commentary

Full time

Full Time Match ends, Aston Villa 1, West Ham United 1.

90:00 +5:31 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, Aston Villa 1, West Ham United 1.

90:00 +5:01

Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Brad Guzan.

90:00 +4:57

Attempt saved. Enner Valencia (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

90:00 +3:55 Booking

Booking Joleon Lescott (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

90:00 +3:52

Foul by Joleon Lescott (Aston Villa).

90:00 +3:52

Michail Antonio (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

90:00 +3:20

Jordan Ayew (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90:00 +3:20

Foul by Mark Noble (West Ham United).

90:00 +1:52

Foul by Rudy Gestede (Aston Villa).

90:00 +1:52

James Collins (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90:00 +1:06

Adama Traoré (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90:00 +1:06

Foul by Reece Oxford (West Ham United).

89:33

Carles Gil (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

89:33

Foul by Alexandre Song (West Ham United).

87:30

Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Cheikhou Kouyaté.

86:20

Offside, West Ham United. Reece Oxford tries a through ball, but Michail Antonio is caught offside.

84:55 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, West Ham United. Reece Oxford replaces Mauro Zárate.

82:50 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Aston Villa. Adama Traoré replaces Jordan Veretout.

78:39

Attempt saved. Pedro Obiang (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

77:28 Booking

Booking Alan Hutton (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

77:25

Foul by Alan Hutton (Aston Villa).

77:25

Michail Antonio (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.

75:17

Offside, Aston Villa. Rudy Gestede tries a through ball, but Jordan Ayew is caught offside.

74:58 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, West Ham United. Alexandre Song replaces Aaron Cresswell.

73:48

Attempt blocked. Alan Hutton (Aston Villa) header from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Rudy Gestede.

73:01 Booking

Booking Cheikhou Kouyaté (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.