Joe Hart: West Ham should be concerned by what I saw vs Aston Villa, ‘it’s relentless’
West Ham’s 3-2 loss to Aston Villa saw them squander a lead once again in the Premier League.
A brace from Morgan Rogers proved to be decisive as the Hammers lost their sixth game at the London Stadium this season.
Mateus Fernandes and Jarrod Bowen gave Nuno Espirito Santo’s side the lead on two different occasions on Sunday, but they remain in 18th place, three points adrift of safety.
West Ham are still expected to be relegated, and Joe Hart has stressed that the intense nature of the Premier League has taken its toll on them.
West Ham are unable to hold onto a lead
West Ham have taken the lead in three of their last five top-flight matches, although they’ve failed to win any of them.
In total, they have dropped 10 points from a winning position, the joint-third highest total in the Premier League this season.
Speaking on Match of the Day on 14 December, Hart has become increasingly concerned with the mentality of the West Ham players.
He said: “Of course, they should be concerned, the Premier League is relentless. Teams have got so much in their arsenal to mount a comeback, and West Ham have to stay focused.
“Look, they weren’t terrible today, but they were up against a good Villa side who didn’t panic when they went behind.”
Defensively, it’s been shocking at times, and their 14-year stay in the top flight is in real danger of coming to an end.
Why are West Ham so susceptible to throwing away leads?
The first reason for this is undoubtedly down to a lack of confidence.
After just one win in their opening nine matches, the Hammers were already resigned to fighting at the bottom of the table, and fans have had very little hope this season.
The London Stadium has been a problem for supporters, and the ground lacks the atmosphere of Elland Road, with relegation rivals Leeds thriving on home turf.
| Opponent | Sate |
| Man City (a) | 20 December |
| Fulham (h) | 27 December |
| Brighton (h) | 30 December |
The players need to do more, and it’s clear that they are not mentally strong enough as a whole to keep their heads for the duration of a match.
West Ham’s loss to Aston Villa starts a busy run of fixtures, with a trip to Man City next up, and supporters won’t be thinking that their fortunes will change at the Etihad.
What’s even more worrying is that if they take the lead, there is no evidence to suggest that they would hold onto it.
These are definitely worrying times for West Ham fans.
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