Match analysis 7 min read

Aston Villa 1 West Ham 1: tactical analysis

Aston Villa 1 West Ham 1: tactical analysis
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Author
The Coaches' Voice
Published on
January 27 2025

PREMIER League, JANUARY 26 2025

Aston Villa 1West Ham 1

Ramsey (8)

Emerson (70)

Two weeks after losing an FA Cup tie at Villa Park in Graham Potter’s first game in charge, West Ham came back from a goal down to draw this Premier League meeting. The visitors have conceded more goals (nine) than any team in the opening 10 minutes of Premier League games this season, and true to form were behind after eight minutes here. From an unlikely source, too, with Jacob Ramsey giving Aston Villa the lead in with his first Premier League goal for 16 months. But Potter’s team refused to buckle.

Although Villa had chances to extend their lead – including a 10th-minute Morgan Rogers effort that was disallowed for offside – West Ham hung in there and levelled matters in the second half. Edson Álvarez provided the cross for Emerson to head in at the far post. The ball was in the back of the net again, late on, when Lucas Paquetá turned the ball over the line. But Tomáš Soucek was correctly given offside in the build-up, and both teams had to settle for a point. Villa finished the weekend eighth, with West Ham 14th.

How the managers saw it

“We started very well and we were dominating and imposing with our positioning,” said Unai Emery. “We avoided their possibilities to have good chances to score and were defending well… [but] we missed a little bit some fresh legs and we tried with Jhon Durán, with [Donyell] Malen, with [Emi] Buendía, but maybe without the central midfielders and central defenders, and with Lucas [Digne] at centre-back in place of [Tyrone] Mings, we were a little bit without the power we usually have.”

“We spoke at half-time for Emerson just to be a little bit more positive with his movement, which he did in the second half,” explained Potter. “He threatened the back line really well and then the goal was really well worked. Obviously we looked for that overload in the back area and we did, it was great execution. But I think it was a reward for a really good performance.”

Starting line-ups
Aston VillaWest Ham
2312542448412731112352632928193314104
Aston Villa4-2-3-1
West Ham3-4-3
23Emiliano Martínez
23Alphonse Areola
12Lucas Digne
5Vladimír Coufal
5Tyrone Mings
26Max Kilman
4Ezri Konsa
3Aaron Creswell
2Matty Cash
29Aaron Wan-Bissaka
44Boubacar Kamara
28Tomáš Soucek
8Youri Tielemans
19Edson Álvarez
41Jacob Ramsey
33Emerson
27Morgan Rogers
14Mohammed Kudus
31Leon Bailey
10Lucas Paquetá 
11Ollie Watkins
4Carlos Soler
Match stats
Aston VillaWest Ham

14/4

SHOTS / ON TARGET

14/3

45%

POSSESSION

55%

24

ATTACKS INTO AREA

25

0.98

EXPECTED GOALS (XG)

1.84

Villa’s inside-channel runs

Aston Villa set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, but Jacob Ramsey soon moved inside from wide left and attacked the inside-channel spaces. Morgan Rogers worked the inside channel on the other side of Ollie Watkins, meaning Villa had a duo making purposeful runs around the wide centre-backs in West Ham’s 5-2-3 defensive shape. Lucas Digne and Leon Bailey often drew the visitors’ wing-backs out, creating huge spaces for penetrative passes and runs. Rogers was the initial threat (below), but it was Ramsey who put the hosts ahead, combining with Watkins through the left inside channel before finishing across goal.

One of West Ham’s pivots was often pulled out of shape when the visitors attempted to press high. This allowed either Ramsey or Rogers to receive between the lines and overload West Ham’s other pivot (below). Continued runs beyond around the away side’s isolated wide centre-backs also helped Villa progress forward with purpose. Their deeper, often one-touch combinations played through the West Ham press, creating lots of attacking moments early on.

West Ham’s wide threats

To the visitors’ credit, they eventually responded with both possession and territory after their shaky start. Lucas Paquetá dropped and linked play from the back line, receiving between the lines after build-up around Villa’s narrow front line (below). Where possible, switches from left to right found Mohammed Kudus to attack from the other side, where he was supported by late runs from Aaron Wan-Bissaka. But with Paquetá dropping to link, West Ham lacked support for a killer final ball or cross.

As the first half progressed, West Ham increased their possession and overall threat. Further rotations were added to the wide areas, and the left side in particular. Wide centre-back Aaron Cresswell – and on occasion Vladimír Coufal from the right – provided secondary forward runs into the wide areas, often underlapping the wing-backs (below). This added another crossing threat, but also better numbers to attack the centre or combine back inside – although in the first half this didn’t result in many efforts on goal. West Ham were at least responsive with ideas when on the ball, as Villa’s deepening 4-4-2 low block soon made it difficult for them to find their central attacking trio with passes through the middle.

The visitors continued to push for an equaliser throughout the second half, and deservedly found one from Emerson’s run and finish at the back post. Fittingly, it came from the additional support provided by the advancing wide centre-backs, as Coufal’s overlap supported Wan-Bissaka driving inside (below). Álvarez, from the double pivot, widened in cover to protect against any transition, but also acted as additional passing support to combine with the wide duo. From here, his cross picked out Emerson to deservedly equalise.

Villa’s deeper defending

With the home side pegged back for the majority of the second half, they often relied on counter-attacks. With West Ham’s wing-backs high and wide, space in the wide areas was available for Villa to target. Bailey, a genuine winger, took advantage, carrying the ball forward, with Matty Cash looking to overlap from deep when available. Ramsey continued to narrow on transition, however, so West Ham’s right side wasn’t as exploited or targeted. With the visitors’ three centre-backs then narrowing, Rogers and Watkins formed a pairing, looking to exploit as Bailey – or Villa’s main ball-carrier – drew out one of West Ham’s wide centre-backs (below). Despite some progressive moments, Villa struggled to replicate their purposeful inside combinations of the first half.

To nullify West Ham’s successful wide combinations, Villa moved into a 5-4-1 defensive shape. New arrival Donyell Malen recovered back to help Cash defend switches, track Emerson’s runs and protect against crosses towards the back post. Digne struggled after moving to centre-back in the wake of another Tyrone Mings injury, but he at least gave support inside Ian Maatsen, who could now jump out to West Ham’s wide combinations without fear of being exposed. The hosts’ midfield four then provided central cover to limit West Ham’s play through, while also putting secondary pressure on the wide areas.

Even with these defensive tweaks, West Ham nearly won the match at the death. Villa’s much deeper defending did just enough to secure a draw, but West Ham and their new head coach will take plenty of positives from a tough away assignment. 

To learn more about football tactics and gain insights from coaches at the top of the game, visit CV Academy