Julen Lopetegui took charge of his first match as West Ham manager on Saturday 17 August in a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa.
The Hammers had the worst possible start, Amadaou Onana scoring his first goal for his new side in the fourth minute, as they were on the back foot for most of the first half.
Matty Cash handed the Irons a lifeline, fouling Tomas Soucek in the penalty area before Lucas Paqueta equalised with the spot-kick to send the sides level heading into the second half.
West Ham-linked Jhon Duran [HITC] was on hand to score the winner for Villa though, and hand Lopetegui defeat in his first Premier League match in charge of the Hammers.
Here, are the Soccer4U player ratings for the match.
Alphonse Areola – 7
Areola stood no chance against Onana’s powerful header from close range to give Villa the lead. The Frenchman was on hand to deny the first-half onslaught from the opposition with a string of impressive saves. He came to the Hammers’ rescue more than once and, denied Morgan Rogers and Villa the lead with an instinctive save.
Vladimir Coufal – 6
Coufal offered an attacking threat in comparison, to his defensive teammates but was caught out of position on several occasions. The Czech defender failed to close down Jacob Ramsey who assisted the second goal.
Konstantinos Mavropanos – 5
Another that struggled against the Villa attack, won a few defensive headers, but couldn’t keep up with the pace and power of the opposition. He played his part in a poor defensive West Ham performance.
Max Kilman – 5
Kilman made his debut for the Hammers and was immediately under pressure as his side went a goal down in the opening minutes. He helped his side hold on throughout the first half onslaught but struggled in the second half. The Englishman struggled against the pace of the Villa attack and was the culprit for the winner, losing Jhon Duran in the box. Not a good day for the West Ham debutant.
Emerson – 5
West Ham fans would be forgiven for not knowing Emerson was on the pitch against Villa. The Champions League winner strung together a forgettable performance in the Premier League opener as not one West Ham defender performed well in East London.
Tomas Soucek – 7
Soucek rescued his side, winning the penalty that restored the deficit in the first half. He shone in comparison, to his midfield partner Rodriguez, and missed a chance to give the Hammers the lead after a Kudus cross early in the second half. The Czech midfielder came inches away from a late equaliser, his header rebounded back to him inches away from goal but he couldn’t convert.
Guido Rodriquez – 4
Rodriguez was the other summer signing named in the starting lineup and he was lucky to remain on the pitch heading into the second half. The Argentine couldn’t keep up with the pace of the Premier League as the Villa midfield ran rings around him. He seemed to settle after the restart but had nothing to write home about in a disappointing debut and was sacrificed for Danny Ings as his side chased a late equaliser.
Mohammed Kudus runs the show for West Ham
Lucas Paqueta – 7
The Brazilian cut a frustrated figure in the first half and earned his first yellow card of the campaign as West Ham struggled to breathe. He showed his usual composure from the penalty spot to put the Hammers on level terms going into the break but offered little else before making way for James Ward-Prowse.
Mohammed Kudus – 8
Kudus was the main threat for the Hammers in the second half as every attack seemed to come from the 24-year-old. He found Soucek with an inch-perfect cross early in the second half to no avail and was a constant threat down the wings. He found Soucek again who came so close to an equaliser in the closing stages. A goal contribution is all that was missing from the forward but it wasn’t through a lack of trying.
Jarrad Bowen – 6
It wasn’t the ideal start to the new season Bowen would have liked, his side’s struggles limited his impact on the match. The 27-year-old showed flashes of his quality with bursting runs down the right-hand side before coming off for Crysencio Summerville. He ultimately struggled alongside his teammates
Michael Antonio – 5
The 34-year-old may have started his last Premier League match for the Hammers after a disappointing outing at the London stadium. He was dispossessed several times trying to exude his strength and failed to make an impact. He had one chance in the second half but, saw his header over the crossbar in the six-yard box. Niclas Fullkrug replaced him for the final 15 minutes.
Subs
Niclas Fullkrug – 6
Crysencio Summerville – 6
James Ward-Prowse – 5
Danny Ings – 6
Jean-Clair Todibo – N/A
