January 11, 2025

Aston Villa came from 0-1 down to win 2-1 in the FA Cup against West Ham. The goals of the “Villans” were scored by Onana and Rogers. In the third round of the FA Cup, Aston Villa came from behind against Wets Ham in just five minutes, thus, in a duel between two Premier League teams, the “Villans” reaffirmed their good moment, while the West Ham team continues to sink in bad results. West Ham took the lead The game at Villa Park started very well for the “Hammers”, having a chance to score a goal, and this was achieved after only 9 minutes of play, when West Ham started a play from their own half of the field, until they set up Crysencio Summerville on the right flank, who crossed to the penalty spot, where Lucas Paquetá ended up shooting with his left foot to the near post, leaving the goalkeeper on the turf, on his way to the right post. For the rest of the first half, West Ham kept attacking, looking for a second goal that could not materialize. In the second half, Aston Villa came from behind In the second half, Aston Villa went forward, trying to tie the game with an insistent attack that put the Hammers’ lower half in trouble. But it was not until the 71st minute when Amadou Onana pushed the ball into the back of the net from a corner kick that originated a shot stopped by the goalkeeper and a rebound on the leg of a defender, where Onana stretched his leg to tie the game. Five minutes later, at 76′, the home team put together a good attacking play that ended with Ollie Watkins’ overflow into the area, who crossed to Morgan Rogers, who anticipated the defense and got his right foot out to connect with the ball and put it in the direction of the goal, to turn the game around and finally win 2-1. It should be noted that, in this match, Aston Villa wore a commemorative uniform, with a retro style, leaving the traditional wine and blue and sky blue to wear an all-black shirt.

With a brace from Patrick Schick and a goal from Nathan Tella, Bayer Leverkusen triumphed over Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling 3-2 encounter. Jamie Gittens’ strike and Serhou Guirassy’s penalty for Dortmund weren’t enough to prevent the visitors from taking all three points. This win moves Leverkusen temporarily within a single point of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, with 35 points. However, Bayern still has a game in hand, leaving the title race wide open. A Frenetic Start Fans at Signal Iduna Park barely had time to settle before Leverkusen struck their first goal—just 25 seconds into the match. The ball reached Dortmund’s defensive corner, where a clearance landed at three-quarters of the pitch. Edmond Tapsoba headed the ball back forward, and Robert Andrich flicked it to Nathan Tella. Without hesitation, Tella unleashed a first-time rocket that flew into the near post, beating the goalkeeper’s dive. Just seven minutes later, Leverkusen doubled their lead. Tapsoba delivered a long pass down the left flank to Piero Hincapié, who carried the ball to the end line and delivered a cross into the box. Patrick Schick slid in at the far post to connect and send the ball into the net, making it 2-0. Dortmund responded swiftly, finding the net four minutes later in the 12th minute. Yan Couto gained possession near the right sideline, dribbled toward the edge of the box, and delivered a cross that deflected off a defender. The ball bounced to the far post, where Jamie Gittens volleyed it home to bring the score to 2-1. Leverkusen struck again in the 19th minute. A fluid buildup from their own half culminated in Jeremie Frimpong sending a precise cross from the right side of the box. Schick, in a near replica of his first goal but from the opposite side, slid in to meet the ball and scored his second of the match, restoring Leverkusen’s two-goal cushion at 3-1. A Late Penalty Couldn’t Save Dortmund In the second half, Dortmund was awarded a penalty in the 75th minute. Julien Duranville broke into the box with a deft chip over two defenders, drawing a foul as Leverkusen’s defenders leaned into him. After a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot. Serhou Guirassy stepped up in the 79th minute and confidently converted the penalty, narrowing the gap to 3-2. Unfortunately for the home side, Dortmund couldn’t muster another goal in the closing stages, and Leverkusen held on for the win.