Match Report: Guzan Keeps Late West Ham Onslaught at Bay

It's a familiar scene at the end of a game when an unfavoured minnow upsets the odds to keep a footballing giant at bay. The giant is usually left frustrated after a late onslaught proves too little too late while the underdog is left out on their feet but elated.

At Upton Park the giant was West Ham and the minnow was Aston Villa, or at least that was how it seemed upon hearing the final whistle. It was a sign of the times for the respective sides, with West Ham benefiting from the lease of life that comes with a positive change of outlook and Villa embarking on a retched run of form that has now seen them score just once in seven matches.

The sheer relief for the away side was both abundant and wholly understandable in their current circumstances, with the point reflecting their first since the middle of September. The run of fixtures that they've had to face in that time has certainly been an unenviable one but, nevertheless, Villa's survival last season owed a great deal to victories over the likes of City and Chelsea and such matches aren't games that they can afford to merely write off as unimportant.

Post-match Paul Lambert was eager to stress the quality of the result on Saturday given West Ham's triumphs over the likes of Liverpool and, more recently, Man City on home soil and in truth the point was a good one for his side. However, the way in which Villa had to cling on, wasting as much time as possible as early as the hour mark, against a team their fans would no doubt feel they should be finishing above in the league is indicative of their struggles under the current management.

All that being said, this wasn't a one-sided affair until deep into the second half. It was a similar case when the two met in East London this time last year, with the atmosphere only really cranking up late on after a turgid affair for much of the game.

Indeed West Ham were disappointing compared to the standards they've set this season, particularly at home, frustrated by a Villa side happy to sit deep and wait for the chance to exploit any errors in possession from the hosts, of which there were plenty.

The first real chance of the game came from one such situation, with Gabby Agbonlahor profiting from a misplaced pass before racing clear of former teammate James Collins and blazing over. The ex-Villa man then had a chance from a corner moments later, drawing a comfortable save from Brad Guzan, with the American then equal to an effort, this time a stinging drive, from another former Villan in Stewart Downing.

The tale of the tape at the games end, however, was summed up by Sam Allardyce, stating "When our finishing was very good the goalkeeper was even better, and some of the time I was a little bit disappointed with our finishing considering how good we've been."

Prior to the weekend West Ham's conversion rate (13.1%) was bettered by only two sides - league leaders Chelsea and Everton - so their manager was not wrong to pinpoint their impressive figures in front of goal. After it, however, the Hammers dropped to 7th (11.4%), having fired off 21 shots at goal and hit the target with just 5. Their visitors, in comparison, had 12 attempts but tested Adrian 4 times.

It was the Spaniard's opposite number that proved to be the difference, however, with a top save from the returning Andy Carroll with just seconds remaining standing out and rescuing a point for his side. It was a performance that earned Brad Guzan a place in the Premier League team of the week courtesy of a rating of 8.46 from WhoScored, his best since a penalty-saving display at Norwich in September of last year.

Ultimately this was a game that West Ham would have won had their finishing been of the quality showcased previously this season but it was a desperately needed point for their visitors, whose task doesn't get any easier after the international break as they host high-flying Southampton.

Can West Ham maintain a push for European places? Will Villa be able to avoid another relegation battle? Let us know in comments below