Irons well beaten at Villa

Aston Villa 2 West Ham 0

This was always going to be the most difficult of West Ham's remaining fixtures away to a top four team, as at least the Arsenal game is at home. With Summerville unfit it's going to be tough and the Hammers are not helped by Todibo getting injured in the warm-up, meaning Potts starts and the five at the back plan is abandoned.

It's all Aston Villa, with Castellanos, Pablo and Bowen isolated up front. Dinos Mavropanos has a sensational half, making a goal-saving tackle, heading a corner away from under the bar, heading off the line again and making a crucial tackle that was initially awarded as a penalty. Hermamsen also makes a number of smart saves and we're lucky it's only one at the interval.

Villa's goal comes when they play a short free-kick rather than an inswinger. All West Ham's players are in the box and Sancho feeds McGinn, who curls home an excellent long-range curler. Nuno acts by bringing on Wilson and Traore at the break, as West Ham have not had a shot on target.

The game is over on 68 minutes when Bowen is dispossessed, Rogers outruns Soucek to send in a shot which Hermansen seems to catch but then drops, allowing Ollie Watkins to score a predator's goal. Diouf could also have reacted quicker.

So we now have two weeks to the FA Cup game against Leeds and three before the vital home game against Wolves. At least Spurs have lost 3-0 to Forest and are just one point ahead of WHU. We have to pray that Summerville is fit as without him there's a real lack of threat going forward. Apart from the Greek Bloke the side underperformed at Villa so we need to get back to the levels the side showed at Fulham. But let's remember Villa are a quality side with a quality manager. Games against Wolves and then Palace away present the Hammers with a chance to finally get ahead of tottering Spurs.