Potter’s First Game as Hammers Boss Ends in 2-1 Defeat to Aston Villa

Graham Potter’s West Ham debut ends in a 2-1 FA Cup loss to Aston Villa after a second-half comeback.
Controversial refereeing decision sparks anger as Villa’s equalizer follows an incorrect corner award.
Injuries to Niclas Fullkrug and existing absentees deepen West Ham’s attacking woes.

Graham Potter’s West Ham debut ended in disappointment as Aston Villa staged a second-half comeback to secure a spot in the FA Cup fourth round.

Goals from Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers within five minutes turned the game around after Lucas Paqueta’s early opener had given West Ham the lead.

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Controversy arose when referee Tim Robinson incorrectly awarded a corner in the build-up to Onana’s equalizer, leaving the Hammers furious.

Potter, appointed just days earlier with limited time to prepare, seemed poised for a winning start as his team impressed early on. However, West Ham faded in the second half and struggled to match Villa’s intensity.

The defeat was compounded by an apparent hamstring injury to Niclas Fullkrug, adding to Potter’s striker woes with Jarrod Bowen sidelined with a fractured foot and Michail Antonio already out long-term.