Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham: Graham Potter's debut ends in FA Cup elimination as quick-fire goals seal comeback for Unai Emery's stars
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Graham Potter must have felt like the unluckiest man in the Midlands as he watched nearly two years’ work go up in smoke in five minutes. Out of the game since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, Potter has been planning his return ever since and Lucas Paqueta’s first-half strike looked like giving Potter a debut win as West Ham boss.
![[Morgan Rogers (right) completed Aston Villa's comeback in front of a raucous home crowd]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/10/21/93977401-0-image-a-17_1736546274072.jpg)
Then everything changed. From a corner that should probably not have been given, Amadou Onana equalised for Villa and Morgan Rogers scored the winner soon afterwards. Dire in the first half, Villa could celebrate their 150th anniversary with victory. By full-time West Ham’s mood was as black as the commemorative shirts Villa wore to mark the occasion.
Though there was plenty to encourage Potter after replacing Julen Lopetegui, his side left Villa Park with nothing but injuries to Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville to show for their efforts. Potter had turned down offers from so many clubs since being sacked by Chelsea that it was tempting to wonder whether he would ever return to the dugout.
Yet back he has come and even though he selected eight of the 11 players who started the 4-1 defeat at Manchester City – Julen Lopetegui’s final game in charge – it was easy to see the hand of the new manager despite a single training session. Graham Potter's West Ham debut ended in defeat as the newly=appointed head coach watched his side agonisingly eliminated from the FA Cup.
