Morgan Rogers scored twice in the second half as Aston Villa came from behind twice to defeat West Ham 3-2 in the Premier League. The victory marks Villa's ninth straight win across all competitions, keeping them three points behind leaders Arsenal. West Ham remain in the relegation zone after the loss.
Aston Villa secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium on December 14, 2025, in a Premier League match that saw the visitors overcome two deficits. The game kicked off at 14:00 GMT, with West Ham starting two points behind fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest in the standings.
The match began explosively when Mateus Fernandes gave West Ham the lead after just 28 seconds. The Portuguese midfielder stole possession from Ezri Konsa inside the box and fired past goalkeeper Marco Bizot from a tight angle. "Absolute incredible start for West Ham United," said former defender Luke Chambers on BBC Sport.
Villa leveled the score in the ninth minute through a header from West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos off John McGinn's delivery, though some reports suggest it deflected off Ollie Watkins. Jarrod Bowen restored West Ham's advantage around the 24th minute, diverting Freddie Potts' drive into the net.
After the break, Morgan Rogers equalized five minutes into the second half with a close-range finish. He then sealed the comeback with a sublime strike from distance in the 79th minute, ensuring Villa's triumph. The result leaves West Ham three points behind Leeds United following their 1-1 draw at Brentford and Nottingham Forest's win over Tottenham.
Unai Emery, Villa's manager, remained optimistic post-match: "We are feeling ambitious to try to do our work together and challenge for Europe and the Premier League, and then enjoy each match."
West Ham made four changes to their lineup, with Soungoutou Magassa and Freddie Potts starting, while Villa restored Ollie Watkins for his 200th Premier League appearance along with five others. Injuries sidelined key players for both sides, including West Ham's Lukasz Fabianski (back) and Villa's Emiliano Martinez (back).
Key moments:
- 0:28: Mateus Fernandes (West Ham)
- 9': Konstantinos Mavropanos (Villa, own goal)
- 24': Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)
- 50': Morgan Rogers (Villa)
- 79': Morgan Rogers (Villa)
