West Ham began the new Premier League season and the Julen Lopetegui era with an agonising 2-1 home defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday evening.
Jhon Duran came back to haunt the club who wanted to sign him earlier this summer, the Colombian striker coming off the bench to fire home a late winner after Lucas Paqueta’s stylish penalty had cancelled out an early header from Villa debutant Amadou Onana before half-time.
It was Villa’s first-ever win at the London Stadium and first away from home in the league against West Ham for some 30 years, picking up right where they left off last season having finished fourth against the odds and qualified for the Champions League for the first time since the 1982/83 season.
West Ham played their part in a thrilling contest on opening weekend, but will be frustrated by their performance for much of the first half and inability to capitalise when in the ascendancy after equalising.
West Ham made the worst possible start to their new era, Villa debutant Onana - their headline £50million summer signing from Everton - heading in from close range unmarked to firmly dispatch a Youri Tielemans corner.
Villa were dominant and looked dangerous every time they came forward, with the hosts appearing nervy and far too passive in defence.
Unai Emery’s side should have doubled their lead when Leon Bailey raced clear and rounded goalkeeper Alphonse Areola before striking the base of the post on the angle.
John McGinn also fired narrowly wide as Villa spurned plenty of golden opportunities to extend the advantage, then paying the price before half-time when Matty Cash gave away a contentious penalty following a tangle of legs with Tomas Soucek.
Referee Tony Harrington pointed immediately to the spot despite Cash appearing to first get a foot on the ball and the decision was upheld by VAR John Brooks, with more of an onus this season on not overturning refereeing decisions except in the case of clear errors.
Up stepped Paqueta to coolly send Emiliano Martinez the wrong way from 12 yards and West Ham were revitalised before half-time, Emerson seeing a low drive repelled at the near post.
Both sides exerted pressure early in the second period, Soucek seeing an attempt blocked by Lucas Digne after an audacious rabona cross from the skillful Mohammed Kudus.
World Cup winner Guido Rodriguez - one of two full debutants for West Ham on opening day, along with £40m defender Max Kilman - volleyed well over before more West Ham penalty appeals were waved away following Pau Torres’ challenge on Soucek and Villa broke with menace, Tielemans and Morgan Rogers both denied.
Kudus had suddenly come alive for West Ham and Villa - and in particular Cash, who went off with a late knock - simply couldn’t live with his pace and trickery.
The visitors sent on Duran - a transfer target for West Ham earlier in the summer - and he could only lash into the side netting after being sent through by Digne.
However, he did end up sending a statement to the club that wanted to sign him last month, sweeping through the legs of Areola after great touches from Ian Maatsen and Jacob Ramsey as three of Emery’s substitutes combined to devastating effect.
Duran - a previous target for Chelsea who attracted controversy in July for crossing his arms in a Hammers symbol during an Instagram live session amid those West Ham reports - celebrated the goal by gesturing to a jubilant away end that he was staying put, though Emery admitted straight after the game that he did not know if that would be the case.
New-look West Ham handed further debuts off the bench to all of Niclas Fullkrug, Jean-Clair Todibo and Crysencio Summerville, with the latter teeing up fellow substitute Danny Ings for a whipped header inside the box that was kept out by Martinez.
Another of Villa’s new signings - the returning Jaden Philogene - went close to a third during seven minutes of absorbing second-half stoppage time, with West Ham then denied a last-gasp equaliser at the death as Ezri Konsa made a vital block with his chest to keep out Soucek’s goal-bound header from a Kudus cross.
