Graham Potter's reign as West Ham manager began with defeat as Aston Villa celebrated their 150th anniversary by fighting back to claim a 2-1 FA Cup third-round win.
Potter was in the dugout just a day after being named as sacked Julen Lopetegui’s successor and it looked like he would bring instant success as Lucas Paqueta fired West Ham into an early lead at Villa Park.
But this was a special night for Villa and they overcame a woeful first hour, with goals from Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers in the space of two second-half minutes earning just their second FA Cup win in nine years.
On a night of celebration, where seven trophy successes in the famous cup competition were remembered, boss Unai Emery knows his side will have to improve if they have any chance of making that eight this season – a target he publicly set before the match.
Potter was on a learning mission and as impressed as he will have been by West Ham’s controlled opening, he will have been equally alarmed by their capitulation which could have seen the hosts win by a bigger margin.
Villa had designated this fixture as their 150th anniversary match, donning a vintage kit with black shirts and white shorts and treating fans to a pre-match firework display.
But it was Potter’s reign that started with a bang as the Hammers enjoyed a dream start under their new manager.
Paqueta fired a warning after just 41 seconds when he arrowed a 20-yard effort which whistled just past the post, but he went one better in the ninth minute.
Crysencio Summerville raced down the right and cut back to the Brazilian, who coolly slotted into the bottom corner from 14 yards.
The Hammers were helped by a woefully off-colour Villa, who must have put in one of the worst 45-minute performances of Emery’s reign in the first half.
They regularly gave the ball away, had no creativity going forward and left the field at half-time having failed to have a shot.
They finally rectified that in the 54th minute when Rogers blazed over while Youri Tielemans dragged an effort wide as the hosts began to wake up.
Ian Maatsen then forced Lukasz Fabianski into his first save of the night when he did well to get down low to keep a 20-yard shot out.
Villa were knocking on the door and the equaliser came in the 71st minute, although it was contentious.
The hosts were awarded a corner after Onana’s skewed effort went straight out and Villa took advantage of the gift.
The delivery found its way to the back post where Maatsen’s drilled effort was fumbled by Fabianski and Onana poked home from close range.
Villa turned the tie around five minutes later when Ollie Watkins advanced down the left and teed up Rogers, who fired in from inside the six-yard box.
This was a completely different Villa side to the one that showed up in the opening hour and they almost made it three moments later but Jacob Ramsey’s fierce effort from the edge of the area crashed into the post.
Former Villa striker Danny Ings skewed over at the death as the Hammers, who barely threatened in the second half, pushed for extra time but the hosts did enough to earn a place in the fourth-round draw.
Former Portsmouth defender Sonny Bradley was on target against his old club as League One Wycombe caused an FA Cup third-round upset against Championship opponents thanks to two first-half goals at Adams Park.
Despite being separated by a division, there are only five places between the two clubs in the English football pyramid, as Brandon Hanlan and former Pompey man Bradley were on target to see the Chairboys eliminate the 2008 winners with ease.
The Chairboys took the lead after 17 minutes as brilliant play down the left-hand side by Gideon Kodua saw him beat two players and assist Hanlan for a first-time finish.
Ten minutes later, Wanderers doubled their lead thanks to on-loan Derby defender Bradley.
Luke Leahy’s brilliant free-kick was lofted into the box and there was the ex-Pompey man to head home his first goal for the club, just days after signing from the Rams.
Bradley spent the 2013/14 season with the Blues, playing 38 times and scoring once.
The second period saw Portsmouth have a lot of the ball but rarely threaten the home goal as Wycombe progressed to the fifth round for the first time since 2021.
