Yarmolenko inspires win over Villa

West Ham 2 Aston Villa 1

There's some surprise from Matt, Lisa, Nigel and Michael at my appearance in the Best Cafe, but as I point out, in today's world all the old certainties are crumbling. We have to be prepared to fight for our right to eat chips. The big news is that Nigel has seen Tony Cottee on the tube and that Matt, sporting a pink WHU shirt in support of breast cancer charities, has done a triffic, top top phone interview with Harry Redknapp. 

We meet Fraser — who has discovered a new cellar at his gaff, as you do — in the stadium and the first half sees an evenly-matched game with the keepers hardly troubled. Benrahma starts well with a shot on target but then makes lots of unforced errors while Ramsey's dribble causes a few problems, but it looks like a dour 0-0 at the break, with the Villa players constantly going down with supposed injuries. It seems the Jack Grealish sniper has stayed in Birmingham. Then Nigel eats his lucky banana at half-time and a game develops.

Fabianski deflects Ings' shot on to the post, then Zouma forces a great save from Martinez and Dawson somehow heads the rebound over. The game changes when Andriy Yarmolernko comes on for the injured Antonio. He receives a moving ovation and with his country being battered literally and not metaphorically, you have to admire his bravery in playing. 

Yarmy immediately looks up for it, holding the ball up and spraying some good passes out wide. None of us have ever doubted hm (much). His moment comes when Benrahma finds him with a difficult ball, He controls it and dinks a lovely effort in the corner with the outside of his boot. A touch of class and a glimpse of the player we might have seen had not an ACL injury stalled his progress at WHU. Andriy is in tears as he points to the skies and it's a moment that transcends a mere football match.

The second goal sees Benahama get another assist after a typically surging run from Rice. Said finds Fornals who strokes home, a goal that will do Pablo's confidence a lot of good. There's still time for sub Diop to be out-muscled by Buendia and Ramsey to stroke home from the edge of the box to ensure a nervous finish.

But it remains Yarmy's day as the Hammers hold out for a 2-1 won. We retreat to the Railway, a pub that is unaware of the craft beer revolution, where Newcastle Brown is the best beer on offer and Michael almost becomes a rebel without a Cors. It also boasts a Seventies soul disco, allowing one of our headbanging number to admit to having an Isley Brothers album. Nigel and Matt discuss footie trivia about Bon Accord and Darwen FC and it's been a good day all round. Irons!

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 7; Johnson 7, Dawson 6, Zouma 7, Cresswell 7 (Fredericks 6); Rice 8, Soucek 6, Benrahma 7 (Diop n/a), Fornals 7, Lanzini 6; Antonio 6 (Yarmolenko 10).

Photo: Michael the Whovian

Declan's coming home...

Good to see Declan Rice play so sensibly in England's historic win over Germany. After picking up an early booking for a foul on the edge of the box he avoided giving the ref any more decisions to make and really grew into the game in the second half. It was great to see him launching into some inspiring tackles and then geeing up the England crowd. And to round off a good week for Dec there's now a giant poster of him in Finsbury Park station.

So next up it's Andriy Yarmolenko's Ukraine. Yarmy really is one of those players who looks better at international level rather than club football. He made another goal last night with a fine clipped cross and has already scored twice. If only we could see more of this at West Ham. Ukraine cant be underestimated and a semi-final against Denmark or Soucek and Coufal's Czech Republic wouldn't be easy either. But rather like Moyes at West Ham, Gareth Southgate seems to have developed a real bond among his players. If England can remain focused there's surely every chance of getting to the final and ending 55 years of hurt.

Yarmolenko is best used as an impact sub

It's perhaps understandable why Moyes gave Andriy Yarmolenko a chance to start against Burnley. He had come on and scored the winner against Chelsea and then enjoyed a good cameo at Newcastle. But playing him from the start unbalanced the side with Bowen moved from his favoured wide-right role. There's also the fear that Yarmolenko only has only one trick, albeit a very good one of cutting inside onto his left foot. 

Jacob Steinberg was pretty scathing in today's Guardian, blaming Yarmolenko in part for the goal and writing, "he is a highlights player who doesn't work hard enough and Burnley knew that the Ukrainian would not track back to protect Ryan Fredericks." That's maybe a little harsh, as Fredericks could have got out to Taylor quicker and Cresswell let Rodriguez get across him for the goal.

But it's true that Yarmolenko remains an enigma. He started off his Hammers career well with two goals at Everton and one deflected effort against Man United before succumbing to a season-ending cruciate ligament injury. This season he again started strongly with goals against Norwich, Man United and Bournemouth before again succumbing to injury. 

After two seasons mainly lost to injury he's not going to find playing 90 minutes easy. But where Yarmy has looked effective since the restart is running against a tired defence as he proved against Chelsea. The lad can finish if nothing else and for the final four games is a good option to have on the bench even if he's not the man for a 90-minute relegation battle.