Results tagged “Aston Villa”
West Ham clambered out of the bottom three of the Premier League with a hard-won point at Aston Villa.
The Irons harried and hustled high-flying Villa, with Gianfranco Zola employing a five-man midfield to good effect.
West Ham have been fined £115,000 for failing to control their fans during the Carling Cup match with Millwall in August.
The Football Association slapped the sanction on the Irons this afternoon as punishment for the repeated pitch invasions that marred the August 25 fixture.
West Ham moved out of the Premier League relegation zone thanks to an injury time winner from Zavon Hines and some eccentric refereeing.
Hines's goal, and an earlier penalty from Mark Noble gave the Irons a 2-1 win over Aston Villa, and Hammers' boss Gianfranco Zola feels it could be the turning point for his team.
West Ham will be up against some old boys as they look to end their winless run tonight.
Aston Villa are likely to include defender James Collins in their ranks when they visit Upton Park for the Premier League clash, while former Hammers captain Nigel Reo-Coker could feature.
West Ham defender James Collins has swapped one claret and blue shirt for another after joining Aston Villa on a four year deal.
The Welsh defender passed a medical at Villa Park this afternoon and signed for the Villans for a fee believed to be around £5million.
West Ham kept their hopes of European football next season alive with a late equaliser at Villa Park on Saturday.
Diego Tristan's clever header five minutes from time secured a 1-1 draw for the Irons in an entertaining match, keeping them in seventh spot in the Premier League.
Nigel Seeley - the Wizard of Odds - gives his tips on where to place your bets this week, backing Chelsea and a Grand National long-shot.
What can I say? Luck, form and everything else is against us in 2009 and it's about time we had a change for the better or I'm seriously going to give the game up.
West Ham defender Matthew Upson has pinpointed Christmas as crucial if the Irons are to get out of the relegation dogfight this season.
Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa left the Hammers just one point above the drop zone and they face two teams also in the relegation mix - Portsmouth on Boxing Day and Stoke on Sunday.
West Ham will be looking for their first home win in three months when they entertain Aston Villa tomorrow.
The Irons last won at Upton Park when they beat Newcastle 3-1 on September 20 and need all three points against Villa to pull away from the relegation zone.
West Ham 2 Aston Villa 2
Dean Ashton's late strike earned West Ham a share of the spoils at Upton Park, and then learned he's made Fabio Capello's latest England squad.
The 24-year-old forward's 88th minute goal, a superb first time effort from the edge of the box, rescued a point for the Hammers after Villa looked set to snatch a win on the last day of the Premier League season.
The point, coupled with Tottenham's 2-0 home defeat against Liverpool, meant West Ham finished 10th in the table, although for most of the second half the most likely outcome looked to be a comprehensive defeat against a determined and enterprising Villa side.
West Ham wrap up their season on Sunday when Aston Villa travel to Upton Park in a game that has significance for both clubs.
The Hammers need to win to guarantee tenth place, ahead of bitter rivals Tottenham who lie just two points behind them in the Premier League table.
Spurs' superior goal difference means Alan Curbishley's men could be overtaken if they draw and Tottenham beat Liverpool, something that would be unpalatable to the majority of the Upton Park faithful.
