West Ham United's manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, expressed disappointment over his team's inability to maintain control during their 3-2 loss to Aston Villa. Despite taking the lead twice at the London
Stadium, West Ham could not secure a win. Mateus Fernandes scored within 30 seconds, and Jarrod Bowen also found the net. However, Morgan Rogers' two goals and an own goal by Konstantinos Mavropanos sealed their fate.
The Hammers have now gone five Premier League matches without a victory, drawing three and losing two. Nuno acknowledged that defensive weaknesses need addressing. "We did not control the game," he told Sky Sports. "We conceded from a ball that was ours. We scored, but the negative is that we conceded three goals that really punished us. "
This defeat marked the first time since November 2016 that West Ham lost a league game after leading twice. That previous occasion was also a 3-2 loss, against Tottenham. The team must improve defensively to avoid repeating such outcomes in future matches.
Jarrod Bowen reached a significant milestone by becoming only the second player to achieve 100 Premier League goal involvements for West Ham, following Michail Antonio's 101. Despite this achievement, it was overshadowed by the team's overall performance and result on the day.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola shared his frustration after the match: "We are frustrated now. We did lots of good things, but it wasn't enough. " He emphasised the need for hard work and correcting small details to secure points in upcoming games.
The team is determined to rectify their mistakes and improve their defensive organisation. Nuno stressed that there is still time to turn things around and move out of their current predicament in the league standings.
Villa take the three points.
West Ham United (@WestHam)
Nuno acknowledged Aston Villa's individual talent and admitted his side should have defended better against them. The loss was painful for both players and fans as they failed to secure a home victory on what was meant to be a special day.
The team remains committed to pushing forward and sticking together as they aim to improve their performance in future matches. They will review this game closely to identify areas needing improvement while maintaining positive aspects of their play.
