Jhon Duran climbed off the bench to sink the club who spent half the summer trying to sign him as Aston Villa secured a 2-1 win at West Ham.
Colombian striker Duran was so close to moving to east London this summer that he even had to be reprimanded by Villa after doing a ‘crossed Hammers’ gesture with his arms on social media.
However, new Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui could not agree a deal and opted to sign Germany forward Niclas Fullkrug.
That decision came back to bite him as Duran struck with 11 minutes left to deal the Spaniard a defeat in his opening Premier League match in charge.
Much has been made of West Ham’s spending this summer – they were among the busiest clubs in Europe with eight new signings – but it was a Villa new boy, Amadou Onana, who scored with almost his first touch before Lucas Paqueta hauled the hosts level with a penalty.
Lopetegui had revamped a defence that leaked 74 Premier League goals last season, but inside four minutes they had conceded their first of the new campaign.
Tomas Soucek gave away a needless corner, Youri Tielemans swung the ball in and former Everton midfielder Onana climbed above everyone to head in the opener.
With West Ham playing like a team of strangers – even though, of the raft of new recruits, only ex-Wolves defender Max Kilman and Argentina midfielder Guido Rodriguez started – Villa pushed for a second.
They should have got it when Leon Bailey chased a ball over the top from Matty Cash and did brilliantly to round Alphonse Areola.
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However, from a tight – but by no means impossible – angle and with Kilman sliding in to cover, the Jamaica winger’s effort hit the foot of the near post.
But West Ham were thrown a lifeline when Cash clumsily brought down Soucek after he controlled the ball with his chest in the area.
