Jhon Duran's late goal haunts West Ham as Emery backs striker's Villa future

Aston Villa clinched a thrilling 2-1 victory against West Ham United in a Premier League showdown, with substitute Jhon Duran delivering the decisive blow. The young Colombian striker's goal not only secured the win but also highlighted West Ham's summer transfer missteps.

West Ham's transfer regret

West Ham United had their sights set on Jhon Duran during the summer transfer window, with the player even hinting at a move to London on social media. However, negotiations fell through, and the Hammers opted for Niclas Fullkrug instead.

This decision came back to bite them when Duran, coming off the bench, found the net with just 11 minutes remaining. The goal marked a disappointing debut for West Ham's new manager, Julen Lopetegui, in the Premier League.

Unai Emery's tactical prowess

Aston Villa took the lead early in the match, thanks to Amadou Onana's first-touch goal following a corner from Youri Tielemans. Although Lucas Paqueta equalised for West Ham from the penalty spot, Villa maintained their dominance throughout the game.

Unai Emery's strategic decision to replace Ollie Watkins with Duran proved to be a game-changer. Duran capitalised on a Jacob Ramsey assist to secure all three points for Villa. Emery's confidence in Duran was evident as he told Sky Sports,

"There will be more rumours about him after his goal, but I believe in him. I gave him 30 minutes today and he's very important to us."

West Ham's integration woes

The match underscored the challenges facing Lopetegui at West Ham. Despite an active summer transfer window that brought in eight new players, only two were in the starting line-up. Lopetegui admitted that many of the new signings weren't yet ready for the demands of a Premier League match, saying,

"A lot of the signings arrived late and are not ready for a high rhythm and a lot of minutes."

Duran's future at Villa

Unai Emery's faith in Jhon Duran remains steadfast, despite the summer transfer saga. Emery views the young striker as a vital asset for Aston Villa and is committed to developing his talent. Speaking to BBC, Emery emphasised,

"We believe in him and he has to play, he has to be ready to train every day like he was doing the last week and like he trained today. For me, we need two strikers and both have to have good performances and good commitment to play like they both played today."

Aston Villa aims to build on this impressive victory, with Duran's growth and contributions poised to be pivotal.