Morgan Rogers struck twice in a gripping second half as Aston Villa twice came from behind to beat West Ham United 3-2 at the London Stadium, stretching their winning run in all competitions to nine matches and tightening their grip on third place in the Premier League.
On an afternoon rich in emotion as West Ham honoured club legend Billy Bonds, Mateus Fernandes and Jarrod Bowen put the hosts ahead on two occasions, only for Villa to respond each time through a Konstantinos Mavropanos own goal and then Rogers. The England midfielder levelled at 2-2 shortly after the interval before unleashing a stunning 25-yard winner 11 minutes from time, leaving West Ham still marooned in the bottom three and Villa just three points behind leaders Arsenal.
Tribute to Billy Bonds and a lightning-fast opener set the tone
The day began with a heartfelt tribute to Billy Bonds, West Ham's record appearance-maker, former captain and manager, who died aged 79 at the end of November. An enormous banner depicting Bonds lifting the FA Cup hung from the stand that bears his name, while former team-mates Trevor Brooking and Alvin Martin, accompanied by Bonds' daughters, laid a floral tribute in the centre circle before kick-off. The entire ground then rose for the now customary fourth-minute applause in his honour, creating a powerful backdrop to the contest.