Aston Villa scored twice in a five-minute second-half blitz to overturn West Ham and secure a 2-1 victory, progressing to the FA Cup fourth round. The result denied Graham Potter a winning start as Hammers manager, following his appointment earlier in the week.

Lucas Paquetá gave Potter the perfect opening at Villa Park, scoring in the ninth minute to cap off his return to management 20 months after leaving Chelsea in April 2023. This was despite leading just one West Ham training session since his appointment on Thursday.

However, goals from Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers turned the match in Villa’s favour, earning the hosts a place in the last 32 of the competition for only the second time in nine years.

Paquetá had signalled his intent within the opening minute, narrowly missing the target with a powerful shot. He broke the deadlock soon after, arriving late to finish Crysencio Summerville's pinpoint cross with precision, beating Robin Olsen.

West Ham's early optimism was dampened when striker Niclas Füllkrug, recently recovered from an Achilles injury, pulled up clutching his hamstring and was forced off. Villa then suffered their own injury setback as Ross Barkley also limped off shortly after.

The disruptions impacted the flow of the first half, with Villa struggling to create opportunities and managing only one shot by the interval.

After an hour of play, Villa had yet to register a single shot on target. However, the momentum began to shift as Ian Maatsen’s fierce strike was saved smartly by Łukasz Fabiański. Minutes later, Villa were controversially awarded a corner, despite Onana’s initial shot appearing to go straight out of play. From the resulting set-piece, Onana prodded home from close range in the 71st minute to level the score.

Villa quickly capitalised on their resurgence, adding a second goal just five minutes later. Ollie Watkins collected a pass from Emiliano Buendía and delivered a perfect ball for Rogers, who fired home clinically.

Jacob Ramsey came close to extending the lead, rattling the post with a powerful strike, but Villa held firm as West Ham struggled to respond.

Potter: Disappointed with the result but positives to build on

Speaking after the match, Graham Potter reflected on his team’s performance:

"The start of the game was really good, really positive. We were well organised, posed a threat, and limited Villa’s chances. The first half was solid.

"In the second half, they stepped up and pushed us back more than we would have liked. Losing Füllkrug and Summerville disrupted our attacking play. It became more about absorbing pressure rather than creating big chances.

"I'm not convinced the first goal should have been a corner, but those things happen. At 2-1 down, we regrouped and had a few late chances, but it wasn’t enough.

"The players have been excellent over the past two days. Their attitude, intensity, and understanding were commendable. While the result is disappointing, there are plenty of positives to take forward.

"Young Ollie Scarles was brilliant, and the team gave everything. We’ll work to improve and focus on the matches ahead."

Potter will now turn his attention to ensuring his West Ham side quickly bounce back as they look to build on the promising moments from his managerial debut.