Aston Villa and West Ham United played out a 1-1 draw at Villa Park on Saturday.
Aaron Cresswell gave the visitors the lead on the stroke of half-time with a wonderful strike from just outside the area to give the East Londoners their first goal in almost 400 minutes.
Villa levelled just after the hour-mark when Rudy Gestede was dragged down in the area by Angelo Ogbonna allowing Jordan Ayew to step up and fire home for his third in five outings.
The draw allowed Remi Garde's bottom-placed Villa to add to their points tally which now stands at eight as Slaven Bilic's Hammers dropped to 10th on the back of a run of five straight draws and eight matches without a win.
MATCH OVERVIEW
Aston Villa: 1 (Aaron Cresswell 45+2')
West Ham United: 1 (Jordan Ayew (PEN) 62')
Villa Park, Birmingham - 38,193
TALKING POINTS
- Villa closing in on a much-needed victory. Will it come before the New Year?
- West Ham also battling to find a win but have more scope with their injured stars on the verge of a return.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Villa will travel to Norwich City on Monday as West Ham prepare to host Southampton.
TWITTER INSIGHT
Jordan Ayew: We must keep believing. His views are here: https://t.co/84Eb2PR6GE#AVFCpic.twitter.com/qVFzRNzDbN
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) December 27, 2015Happy to get off the mark today but disappointed not to get the 3 points.. On to the next @whufc_official#coyi ⚒ pic.twitter.com/QtBTzFc6Wb
— AARON CRESSWELL (@Aaron_Cresswell) December 26, 2015
QUOTES CORNER
Aston Villa's Garde on his side's improved showing:
"The feeling is frustration more than anything else, because when you play like we played we gave 100 per cent and deserved more than that.
"If you add the last 45 minutes at Newcastle it's now a long time we've played good football without being rewarded with goals."
West Ham boss Bilic on the penalty call:
"I'm West Ham manager and I'm not objective, but I'm trying to be.
“When it happened I saw Ogbonna in front of Gestede and Gestede came in front not because he was quicker, but because he pulled his shirt. It was long enough for the referee to notice."
STATS SPECIALS
*Thanks to Opta
2 - Aston Villa have been bottom on Xmas Day twice before (in 1935-36 and 1958-59) and were relegated on both those occasions. Portents.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2015