Jhon Duran Delivers Late Winner in Villa's 2-1 Victory

Jhon Duran, the substitute scored a late winner to secure Aston Villa’s 2-1 victory over West Ham in their Premier League opener. Duran, who had been linked with a transfer to West Ham over the summer, capitalized on Jacob Ramsey’s pass and slotted the ball into the bottom corner with 11 minutes to go. This goal came just weeks after West Ham reportedly made two failed bids for the Colombian striker.

Villa took the lead early when Amadou Onana, making his debut, headed in a corner from Youri Tielemans. West Ham equalized before halftime with a penalty awarded after Matty Cash fouled Tomas Soucek in the box. Lucas Paqueta converted the penalty with a stuttering run-up, sending Emiliano Martinez the wrong way. Despite West Ham’s equalizer, Villa dominated the match.

Jhon Duran replaced a sluggish Ollie Watkins, who had limited pre-season training, and made a decisive impact. The striker’s goal responded to the earlier summer transfer speculation where Villa had criticized him for a social media post mocking West Ham. Villa’s victory also included several missed opportunities. Morgan Rogers fired a low shot that Alphonse Areola saved, and John McGinn narrowly missed with his attempt.

West Ham, who had a slow start, struggled to create chances until late in the match. Debutant Niclas Fullkrug and Danny Ings came on to bolster the attack, but a cross from Crysencio Summerville led Ings to head wide and Tomas Soucek missed a close-range chance in the final moments. Villa’s manager, Unai Emery praised Duran’s performance and affirmed his belief in the striker’s potential, despite the summer transfer speculation.

Meanwhile, West Ham’s sluggish first-half performance and missed chances cost them dearly.