West Ham 1 Aston Villa 2: Jhon Duran scores late winner just weeks after teasing Hammers transfer with Irons gesture

JHON DURAN has gone from delighting West Ham fans to ruining the start to their season in a matter of weeks.

At the end of July, as the Irons saw bids rejected for the striker, he posed on social media doing the club’s famous crossed hammers salute.

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He had to hold clear the air talks with an angry Unai Emery and enraged Aston Villa fans – but made up for it all with an opening day winner.

Duran, who also expressed an interest in joining Chelsea this summer, wisely left the gesture out of his celebration.

It was the ideal start after a tricky summer for the Colombian, while Amadou Onana also got off to a flier – bagging the joint quickest goal by a debutant in Premier League history.

For new West Ham man Julen Lopetegui, it was far from the dream start to his tenure in East London.

Slow and stodgy for the most part with some ropey defending, it was like watching the same team from last season at times.

Lopetegui handed starts to two of his new signings as Max Kilman and Guido Rodriguez were in from the off with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crysencio Summerville, Jean-Clair Todibo and Niclas Fullkrug all on the bench.

Villa had just one new man in – but he made his mark in a flash.

Just four minutes into his Aston Villa career, Onana had them ahead.

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Lopetegui had a brief chat with predecessor David Moyes after taking the job in Stratford.

You wonder if the Scot prepared him for the sinking feeling he experienced as a result of some unfathomable defending last season.

If it was not flagged, Lopetegui will have understood it anyway after Villa’s opener. They were handed a cheap corner when Tomas Soucek, alone in his box, hooked the ball behind.

Michail Antonio allowed Onana to slip away from him with ease and head in from just two yards out.

There was little response from the hosts to the early setback and Villa should have had two after 23 minutes.

Morgan Rogers clipped a ball over the top for Leon Bailey to chase.

The winger sailed through two claret and blue defenders who seemed not to notice he was there before rounding Alphonse Areola.

From a tight angle he struck the outside of the near post – a wasted chance which left an opening for West Ham.

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It took the Hammers almost half an hour to show any sign that they might contribute to proceedings, with Soucek heading over from Mohammed Kudus’ cross.

They were fortunate at their end once more when John McGinn rolled a good chance just wide of the far post, but were soon level.

Another cross into the box was causing trouble, as Paqueta looked for Soucek with the big Czech brought down by Matty Cash.

A pointless VAR check confirmed what everyone in the stadium already knew and West Hams’s Brazilian had the chance to level.

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Had things gone to plan for him this summer, Paqueta would have been preparing to face Chelsea with Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

But his betting charges for alleged match fixing around some dubious yellow cards last season put an end to that and West Ham get him for a little longer – unless he is banned.

Having already picked up his first booking of the season, after just 31 minutes, Paqueta needed to show his new boss he can be reliable too.

The former Lyon man stepped up and sent Emiliano Martinez the wrong way from the spot, his stuttering run-up causing the Villa keeper trouble.

The leveller livened up Lopetegui’s men, though they never really sustained any energy.

Emerson Palmieri popped up on the right and forced a smart stop at the near post by Martinez.

The Hammers looked to keep the pressure up after the break, with Soucek seeing a shot blocked at the far post, but they soon fell back in.

Rogers drew a block from Konstantinos Mavropanos, while substitute Duran hit the side netting not long after coming on for Ollie Watkins, who had been very quiet.

Lopetegui was not seeing a lot from his side and turned to two new faces to mix things up – sending on £52million duo Fullkrug and Summerville, also replacing Paqueta with James Ward-Prowse.

Summerville livened up the hosts for a moment, causing Cash more trouble down the West Ham’s left.

But for all their impressive summer signings it was the one they could not get over the line which hurt them eventually.

On 79 minutes, a swift and sharp Villa move – one of the very few from either side here – had West Ham opened up with ease as three subs combined with three touches to bag the winner.

Ian Maatsen nudged the ball inside to Jacob Ramsey, who instinctively found Duran to drill home a first-time finish on his left.

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Lopetegui threw the sink at Villa from there, with Summerville causing more trouble and another substitute, Danny Ings, drawing a save from Martinez.

Ezri Konsa was also needed to block from Soucek on the line.

But they never showed the incisive touch which got Villa ahead. The new boss has work to do if he is to deliver the attacking football everyone is so desperate to see in these parts.

For his fellow Basque, Emery, this was a composed start to what everyone at Villa Park hopes will be a truly special season.