Aston Villa's rise can be backed up by their new-found ability to welcome some of Europe's most exciting talents in the transfer market. During the summer transfer window, the Midlands club signed the likes of Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby, as Unai Emery and his ongoing project paid dividends at Villa Park. Since splashing the cash, too, the Villans have more than been rewarded.

As things stand, Villa sit as high as fifth in the Premier League – just four points adrift of table-toppers Tottenham Hotspur – and will look to continue that momentum after the international break. They've reportedly already turned their attention to the January transfer window, too, but could face disappointment when pursuing one particular target.

Aston Villa transfer news

When looking at the current Villa side, you can see that it's all slowly coming together for Emery. With every transfer window, his side have fewer and fewer weaknesses by the time that deadline day arrives. The last window was no different, either, as a number of stars arrived. Diaby, in particular, has got off to a strong start, having a hand in five goals in eight Premier League games so far.

It's the type of transfer that Villa may have been looking to repeat in January, but the latest Pedro Goncalves transfer news suggests that they're in for disappointment. According to Record, via Sport Witness, Sporting CP see their midfielder as untouchable in the winter window, and will say no to any offer, in the hope of keeping hold of Goncalves until at least next summer.

With the Sporting man's contract expiring in 2027, too, any potential deal would be difficult for Villa to negotiate, especially in January, given the Portugal side's reported stance. This may leave Emery frustrated, as he looks to take the Midlands club to unprecedented heights in the Premier League.

Pedro Goncalves' stats

Goncalves' stats show exactly why Aston Villa are reportedly interested in landing his signature. The 25-year-old could be the difference in a Europa Conference League place, and a Europa League place, or even, in what would send shockwaves in the Premier League, a place in next season's Champions League. Here's how Goncalves compares to some of Emery's current midfield options this season, as per FBref.

Player

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes

Goals + Assists

Pedro Goncalves

27

45

3

Douglas Luiz

13

46

3

John McGinn

8

42

2

During his time in Portugal, the reported Villa target has earned plenty of praise, including from Zach Lowy, who posted on X: "Pedro Gonçalves proving once again why he is one of the brightest talents in European football with that superb goal. Reminder: Fernando Santos did not give Pote a single minute in the Euros. Bravo, Engenheiro."

Even if Villa are forced to wait until next summer, acquiring Goncalves should be high up on Emery's priorities. The Sporting star could take the Villans' midfield up a level or two, potentially resulting in new success at Villa Park. When the transfer window opens, the midfielder is certainly one to keep an eye on.

The opener has also said his one-year ball-tampering ban has given him time to ‘reflect on myself as a human being, just be a dad and a husband’

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2018Top-level international cricket may be hard to come by for David Warner in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup, but he is confident he can stake a claim for a place in Australia’s squad. Into the fourth month of the one-year ban imposed by Cricket Australia, Warner, the former Australia vice-captain, said the time he spends playing other forms of competitive cricket will hold him in good stead ahead of next year’s IPL, which will be immediately followed by the world tournament in May.”I know the break’s doing me well,” Warner said, after scoring a 32-ball 36 for City Cyclones in the NT Strike League, a grade tournament in Darwin, on Saturday. “You don’t lose form overnight. I’ll wake up every day, face Mitchell Starc, [Pat] Cummins, [Josh] Hazlewood, the best bowlers I feel in the world. If I can face them consistently in training, when the ban’s up, that gets you back in. You know there’s plenty of warm-up games, I will be in the IPL as well leading into that. There’s plenty of cricket, plenty of world-class players playing there to get my preparation on song.”Warner’s stint with the Cyclones comes on the heels of his return to competitive cricket in Global T20 Canada. In nine appearances in the tournament, he only made 109 runs, with a top-score of 55 for the Winnipeg Hawks.In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, he even led the side with designated captain Dwayne Bravo injured; he has been banned for life from captaining any side in Australian cricket. With less than a year to go for the World Cup, Warner underlined the importance of any game time he gets, including the forthcoming Caribbean Premier League.”I’m here [at the NT Strike] to play cricket and I love doing that,” Warner said. “I wouldn’t be here today and continue to keep working my backside off to keep scoring runs for each team that I play for if I didn’t love it. I wouldn’t be here, I’d probably retire.”This is just a little stepping stone to keep continuing my progress to putting my hand up and keep enabling myself to keep scoring as many runs as I can for every single team I play for in the next eight months.”David Warner bats while at the NT Strike League•Getty ImagesGiven his busy schedule as an international cricketer, the break from cricket Warner has had in the aftermath of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal is an unusually long one.”The longest I’ve had is six weeks off in the last, I guess, seven years,” Warner said. “The last 12 weeks before I went to Canada was great, just to reflect on myself as a human being, just be a dad and a husband. It’s been pleasurable and I’ve really enjoyed that.”We live in a bubble, and we don’t realise it until it’s taken away from you. There’s a lot more to life than just cricket. Things happen for a reason; this is probably my break to keep me going to prolong my career.”Playing grade cricket, Warner said, also gave him an opportunity to give something back at the grassroots level.”At the moment in grade cricket, talking to a few people, they say that competition’s going to be weaker. So it’s upon us to try and go back and strengthen that as much as we can and try and progress people to come up here and play as much as they can with the local lads.”Just want to keep hoping and giving back to the guys up here and the community. They helped us a lot before we went for Bangladesh series. That helped Cricket Australia. When I had the opportunity to come up here and play and help the guys as much as I can.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Com apenas uma vitória nos últimos 10 jogos, o Paraná despencou na classificação da Série B. Se a equipe sonhava com o acesso, agora a realidade é diferente e a busca é para voltar a brigar pelo G-4.

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Contratado após a saída de Allan Aal, o técnico Rogério Micale terá uma missão difícil, que é ‘ressuscitar’ o sistema defensivo do Tricolor na competição nacional.

Neste período ruim, a equipe marcou em apenas cinco jogos. Ou seja, metade das partidas o Paraná deixou o campo sem marcar nenhum gol.

O melhor jogo do time foi diante do lanterna Oeste, quando venceu por 4 a 0. Na ocasião, o Paraná interrompeu uma série de sete jogos sem vencer.

Agora, o Paraná volta a campo na próxima sexta-feira, diante do Avaí. O Tricolor ocupa a 7ª colocação, com 29 pontos.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be set to lose one of their integral first-team stars next year, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who have Wolves signed in 2023?

At Molineux, Gary O’Neil secured the services of Matheus Cunha, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Santiago Bueno, Boubacar Traore, Enso Gonzalez, Matt Doherty and Tom King over the summer, whilst signing Tommy Doyle on a season-long loan from Premier League rivals Manchester City.

The Old Gold also sanctioned the sales of several high-profile names, including Ruben Neves, Matheus Nunes, Adama Traore and Nathan Collins, and whilst the previous transfer window has now closed, the rumours surrounding exits next year have already started doing the rounds.

In the Midlands, Pedro Neto has established himself as the club’s overall best-performing player so far this season with a match rating of 7.16 (WhoScored – Wolves squad statistics), and being the standout star, the right-winger knows he is destined for bigger things.

According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Portugal’s international is interested in quitting in the near future to join a bigger club where he knows he can compete for silverware, and Arsenal are the team to have so far shown the most interest in the 23-year-old having had scouts in attendance to watch him during the recent 2-1 victory over Pep Guardiola’s side.

Pedro Neto transfer update…

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano delivered a Pedro Neto transfer update, indicating that Wolves are in a strong position regarding the attacker's situation, but suggesting that they could be tempted to cash in should a respectable offer arrive:

“We’re still seeing plenty of rumours about Pedro Neto, and as I said last week, things are likely to happen for the Portuguese winger in 2024 in terms of a transfer.

“Arsenal wanted Neto just over a year ago. They’ve always been interested in the player and they keep tracking him, but there are also other clubs following the situation. He’s always been on the list for Arsenal but it’s nothing more concrete just yet, and the race looks to be absolutely open.”

How many goals has Pedro Neto scored?

In the Premier League this season, Neto has posted six final third involvements, five assists and one goal, in eight appearances (Transfermarkt – Neto statistics), with this prolific form having seen him described as “pure gold” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so the thought of him leaving is likely to be a blow for Wolves.

O’Neil’s left-footed ace, who earns £50k-per-week (Wolves salaries), also loves to use his pace to dribble past his marker and take aim at the opposition’s goalkeeper, as he’s recorded 12 shots this term, with none of his teammates bettering that number (FBRef – Wolves squad statistics).

Furthermore, Neto is a versatile operator having been deployed in six various positions across the pitch since first bursting onto the scene, including everywhere across the frontline and two roles in the midfield, so it’s important that the board do everything they can to try and retain the services of their talisman next year.

Claret and blue is one of the most famous colour combinations in all of English football, and Aston Villa & West Ham United are perhaps the two clubs most synonymous with these colours.

Both sides have enjoyed huge successes over the years and a number of players have played for both Villa and the Irons.

Here is Football FanCast's list detailing some of the best players to play for both of these teams in the Premier League era.

John Carew (Aston Villa 2007-2011; West Ham United 2011-2012)

English football fans will remember John Carew best for his time with Aston Villa, but he did have a season at the Boleyn Ground as well.

Carew joined Aston Villa in January 2007 as part of a swap deal with French side Lyon, with Milan Baros being the man to go the other way.

The Norway international reached double figures for league goals on three occasions with Villa, his highest tally being 13 from 32 appearances in the 2007/08 season.

Carew may have failed to make a long-lasting impact on the West Ham faithful but he is certainly a hero of yesteryear at Villa Park.

Carlton Cole (Aston Villa 2004-2005; West Ham United 2006-2015)

If you want a striker that is loved by all West Ham fans, look no further than Carlton Cole.

Cole scored 40 times in the Premier League for the Hammers, on top of an additional 14 during their time in the Championship.

One of his most famous goals for West Ham came at Wembley Stadium, giving them the lead in the play-off final against Blackpool. A young Tom Ince struck back before Ricardo Vaz Te wrote himself into club folklore with the winner.

Prior to arriving in east London in 2006, Cole had a loan spell at Villa from Chelsea, where he made 27 league appearances, scoring three times.

Joe Cole (West Ham United 1998-2003, 2013-2014; Aston Villa 2014-2016)

Next up is Carlton’s namesake Joe Cole, another attacking player that the West Ham fans will have fond memories of.

Cole scored that superb goal against Sweden in an England shirt at the 2006 World Cup and also won three Premier League titles in Chelsea blue. Before that, though, he played for his beloved West Ham just like Frank Lampard did.

The 41-year-old was named Hammer of the Year in 2002/03, a campaign which saw him play all but two top-flight games, scoring four times. However, he was unable to help steer the Hammers clear of relegation. Cole also scored in a 3-2 FA Cup victory over Nottingham Forest that season.

Joe Cole returned to Upton Park a decade after he first left, and after one season there, joined Villa in 2014 in what was a relatively unsuccessful spell for all concerned.

James Collins (West Ham United 2005-2009, 2012-2018; Aston Villa 2009-2012)

Welsh defender James Collins was with West Ham for a long while, though he spent three years at Aston Villa while the Hammers were relegated and promoted back to the Premier League.

He first broke through into professional football as a Cardiff City player, with his first transfer taking him to the English capital.

Collins wasn’t used as regularly as he may have liked, and so, with the 2009/10 season already underway, he jumped ship to the other team in claret and blue.

The centre-back made nearly double the number of appearances for West Ham as he did for Villa, and so is better known for playing for the former. His second spell with Villa isn't one many will recall due to the fact that he only signed a short contract and then got injured almost immediately.

Rachel Daly (West Ham United 2020; Aston Villa 2022-present)

Moving over to the Women’s Super League, where Aston Villa fans must have been on cloud nine watching Rachel Daly last season.

The striker arrived from NWSL side Houston Dash and picked up the Golden Boot having taken up a centre-forward slot for Carla Ward's side. Daly’s 22 goals were rivalled closely by Khadija Shaw of Manchester City, but it was the England star that prevailed.

Daly had been playing her club football in the US for the best part of a decade when she arrived on loan at West Ham in 2020, so fans this side of the pond weren’t used to watching her in action regularly.

Four goal contributions in less than 800 minutes represented a very solid stint in east London, but West Ham didn’t make the move permanent and it was in Birmingham where the European Championship winner truly came to the fore.

Stewart Downing (Aston Villa 2009-2011; West Ham United 2013-2015)

Stewart Downing played over 400 times for Middlesbrough and is a club legend there, as well as representing both halves of this claret and blue duo.

Aston Villa came first for Downing, making the move in 2009 from Boro following their relegation. He was always a player with a bright creative spark that could also find the back of the net himself, and that shone through during his time Villa Park.

Downing’s 11 goals and 13 assists for them is slightly better than his record of seven and 11 respectively for West Ham, with both of these returns coming in 79 outings, remarkably enough.

Marlon Harewood (West Ham United 2003-2007; Aston Villa 2007-2010)

Marlon Harewood played for a number of different clubs but only made more appearances than in his West Ham tenure with Nottingham Forest. The City Ground was his home as a youngster and made the move south to London in his mid-20s.

Alan Pardew was the man to sign Harewood for the Hammers, and he had an instant impact, scoring 17 and assisting 11 on the way to play-off promotion out of the Championship.

Harewood’s form continued up front in the top flight, including a hat-trick against who else but Aston Villa.

After four years with West Ham, the forward joined the West Midlanders but was unable to replicate his form in front of goal. Harewood scored five league goals in the 2007/08 season before spending the majority of 2009 on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United.

Thomas Hitzlsperger (Aston Villa 2001-2005; West Ham United 2010-2011)

After playing youth football in his home country of Germany, Thomas Hitzlsperger joined Aston Villa.

His professional debut came at Villa Park against Liverpool, and following a loan spell with Chesterfield, he was deemed ready to be a regular. Hitzlsperger made over 100 appearances in a Villa shirt, including 10 in the EFL Cup, scoring four goals in that tournament alone.

He left Villa for Stuttgart where he received a lot of praise from the powers that be in Germany in the form of 52 international caps.

The midfielder from Munich spent a single season at West Ham between 2010 and 2011 and was unable to make a notable impact, in truth.

Danny Ings (Aston Villa 2021-2023; West Ham United 2023-present)

Danny Ings is still a West Ham player currently and the jury is still out on him from the London Stadium faithful.

His injury issues have continued over from earlier in his career and the feisty striker has been unable to provide capable support to Michail Antonio, let alone challenge him for a starting spot under David Moyes.

Ings joined West Ham from Aston Villa, and it was definitely the latter club who got the better end of the deal.

He contributed to 22 goals in 52 Villa appearances and then the club from Birmingham secured an eight-figure fee for his services, recouping most of their outlay for him when signing from Southampton in 2021.

David James (Aston Villa 1999-2001; West Ham United 2001-2004)

At the other end of the field, David James also played for both of these clubs, with a mixture of fortunes.

Injuries and relegation struck during his time with West Ham, so Aston Villa perhaps chose the perfect time to sell once again.

James, who earned 53 caps for England, made a combined 186 appearances for these two teams, which is a decent tally no matter what.

Liverpool and Portsmouth were probably his more famous clubs, however, while it has to be said that he was prone to an error here and there.

Jude Bellingham was left stunned by a reporter's invitation to return home with her after Real Madrid's win over RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

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Bellingham stunned by cheeky requestReal beat Leipzig 2-1 to progress to quarter-finalsEngland international gave classy post-match interviewWHAT HAPPENED?

After laying on a vital assist for Vinicius Junior as Real Madrid drew 1-1 with RB Leipzig to seal a 2-1 aggregate win in the Champions League round of 16, Bellingham was interviewed by reporter Alessia Tarquinio.

The pair have previously spoken about her son, with the England international advising him to learn Spanish and to behave in a more gentle manner. But on Tuesday night she made a cheeky request that left Bellingham stunned.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGettyWHAT WAS SAID

Tarquinio said: "Would you like to come home with me?"

He replied: "Steady!"

Spotting Bellingham's stunned reaction, she then tried to recover by adding: "You are my perfect son!"

The Three Lions star, though, appeared rather embarrassed by the faux pas.

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Following his heroics on the continent, Bellingham is serving a two-match suspension after being sent off in the aftermath of Real Madrid's clash with Valencia last weekend. As a result, he will be missing from this weekend's clash with Celta Vigo.

Australia T20 captain Aaron Finch has jumped three places to vault to the top of ICC T20I rankings for batsmen, while Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman and India’s KL Rahul rose to the No. 2 and No. 3 spots respectively. Finch also became the first player ever to break the 900-point barrier in the T20I rankings but ended the series with a final tally of 891 points.The new top three in the ICC rankings for T20 batsmen•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Babar Azam, Colin Munro and Glenn Maxwell all slipped, occupying the three spots below Finch, Zaman and Rahul.Finch had a prolific run in the tri-series against Pakistan and hosts Zimbabwe, piling on 306 runs in five games at a strike rate of over 200, which included a world record 172 off 76 balls.Zaman moved up 44 places on the table and reached 842 points following his own incredible form in Zimbabwe, which featured a career-best 91 off 46 balls in the final that helped Pakistan seal a record chase against Australia in Harare.Rahul touched a career-high 854 points following the first match of the T20I series in England – which the visitors won 2-1 – where he scored a match-winning 101, but a dip in the next two games saw him finish with 812 points.D’Arcy Short, Finch’s opening partner, entered the top 10 rankings for the first time. He made 165 runs at an average of 41.25 in the tri-series, including a 53-ball 76 in the final. The others who garnered career-best rankings following the two series were Jason Roy (No. 15 with 641 points), Jos Buttler (No. 17 with 614 points) and Zimbabwe’s Solomon Mire, who rose a staggering 202 spots to 25th place on the table.Among the bowlers, legspinners Rashid Khan and Shadab Khan retained the top two positions but there were movements down the table. Andrew Tye rose 41 places to seventh spot and Adil Rashid moved up four places to ninth.

It’s been far from an easy ride at Everton over the past few years, as Sean Dyche continues to attempt to combat the on-pitch issues that have previously threatened the club with relegation.

Fans had to wait until matchweek four to see the Toffees net their first goals of the 2023/24 campaign, and matchweek six to see their side claim their first three points of the season, after a dreadful start to the campaign.

Last term, almost identical to the year prior, Everton were forced to have their fate decided on the final game of the Premier League season, as they flirted with demotion to the Championship due to poor form and lack of inspiration.

Change in personnel within the squad and from a managerial aspect has delayed any type of progression for the Merseyside outfit, however with three wins in their previous four games, there is hope that Dyche’s side can finally build some form.

With a squad replenished in the summer transfer window, there are vacancies there for new heroes to emerge at Goodison, with those that brought joy before, now just a memory.

One name that was a constant source of hope for the Toffees amid their relegation battle of the 2021/22 campaign was Richarlison, who departed the club that summer after cementing himself as a fan favourite on Merseyside.

While it was a painful goodbye to the Brazilian, hindsight has shown that the Blues got a strong deal in the sale of the forward, despite having to let go of his influence on the squad.

When did Everton sign Richarlison?

In the summer of 2018, Everton announced the signing of the highly-rated Richarlison from Watford, paying £40m for the striker who was 21 at the time of his move.

The Brazilian arrived at Vicarage Road the year before, and made a statement in his debut campaign in Europe by having a hand in ten Premier League goals, scoring five and assisting five to capture the eye of the Blues.

Marco Silva, the former Hornets boss who guided Richarlison at Vicarage Road, was the Everton manager responsible for bringing the forward to Goodison in 2018, where he praised him as an acquisition that was “very good technically” at the point of his arrival.

How much did Richarlison earn at Everton?

In making the move to Merseyside, Richarlison subsequently more than doubled his salary, improving his £1.3m-per-year wage at Watford to £4.6m at Everton, equating to a weekly wage of £90k, via Capology.

It was clear from the off how highly the Blues regarded the young marksman, as they handed him a wage that ranked him joint-fourth of the club’s highest-earners in the 2018/19 season.

The faith shown by the Toffees was quickly repaid by Richarlison, as he almost instantly made a name for himself, scoring two goals on his league debut in August 2018, where he was lauded as an “animal” by journalist Liam Canning.

How many goals did Richarlison score?

At the end of his first season, the Brazilian had found himself on the score sheet 14 times in all competitions, netting 13 in the Premier League to get fans excited about what was yet to come.

The following campaign, Richarlison replicated his scoring tally in the league with another 13 in the 2019/20 season, as well as scoring two goals in the Carabao Cup that year.

Along with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the versatile forward was repaying the price the Blues had paid to bring him to the club at 21, ending his stay on Merseyside with 53 goals and 14 assists in 152 appearances in all competitions.

Excluding the 2020/21 campaign, the £40m man never failed to score under ten goals in the Premier League while at Everton, with his lowest tally being the seven he claimed that season.

In his final term, amid the struggles going on at Goodison, the Brazil international had a hand in 15 goals in the league, scoring ten and assisting five, maintaining form in the wilted side that caught the attention of other clubs in the top flight.

How much did Everton sell Richarlison for?

They say all good things must come to an end, and that was the narrative that played out for Richarlison at Everton, as he bid farewell to the club after four years in the summer of 2022.

Tottenham Hotspur were the side that opted to splash the cash to sign the then 25-year-old, paying £60m for his services after their opening offer of £40m was rejected by the Blues.

As relayed by Sky Sports at the time, Everton were hoping for more for their talisman, but made the decision to sanction the move in order to hand manager Frank Lampard additional funds to orchestrate change in the transfer window to take forward.

By selling the 48-cap Brazil international, the Toffees generated a profit of £20m from the £40m they paid for him in 2018, highlighting the grasped opportunity for them to optimise their finances in what was a difficult time for the club.

In hindsight, the deal was an integral and successful one, as the now 26-year-old has seen his market value crash, and his form follow, suggesting that he played his best football at Goodison.

How much is Richarlison worth now?

To say that Lampard cashed in on Richarlison at the perfect time is an understatement, as his current market value sits at just €36.3m (£31m), £29m less than the price that he was sold for just a year ago, as per Football Transfers.

Richarlison's Premier League scoring record

Season

Club

Apps

Goals

2017/18

Watford

38

5

2018/19

Everton

35

13

2019/20

Everton

36

13

2020/21

Everton

34

7

2021/22

Everton

30

10

2022/23

Spurs

27

1

2023/24 TBC

Spurs

8

1

Figures via Transfermarkt

The dip in the forward’s form is answered solely by his abysmal displays in the final third during his first season at Spurs, another indication that Everton offloading him at the ideal time.

In the 2022/23 campaign, the 6 foot hotshot scored once in 27 appearances, scoring his only goal of the entire Premier League season in April after a period of stagnancy relating to the element he was signed to thrive in.

There remains hope that the former Toffees sensation can rediscover his confidence in front of goal, with signs there that this season may be more encouraging as he matched last campaign’s league tally on match week five of this term.

Regardless of whether Richarlison can salvage the form he showcased at Goodison, Everton struck gold by selling the striker for £60m, especially when seeing how dramatically his value has dropped in the year following his departure.

The 19-year-old will be part of the squad for the remainder of the season as Lancashire bolster their spin resources

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2018Lancashire have signed Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan for the remainder of the season.Zahir, 19, has an impressive record with both red and white ball, having taken 34 first-class wickets at 13.14, alongside 19 at 22.42 in List A and 15 at 13.53 in T20 cricket. He is yet to make his international debut although he was part of Afghanistan’s squad for their inaugural Test against India and played at last year’s Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. He was also part of the Rajasthan Royals squad for this year’s IPL before being ruled out due to an injury, without playing any game.He becomes the fourth Afghanistan cricketer to join a county this season following Rashid Khan (Sussex), Mohammad Nabi (Leicestershire) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Hampshire).”I’m really excited to be signing for Lancashire for the rest of the campaign, ” he said. “It’s always been an ambition of mine to play county cricket in England and test myself against some of the world’s best players. I can’t wait to get started now.”I have heard a lot of good things about Lancashire and Old Trafford from Jos Buttler when I played with him at the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and I hope to make a significant contribution during my stay here.”Zahir’s signing continues Lancashire’s bolstering of their spin resources after they also brought in Scotland’s left-arm spinner Mark Watt.

West Ham United's record-breaking 17-match unbeaten run in Europe came to a disappointing end against Olympiacos after crashing to a 2-1 defeat on Thursday night.

The Hammers fell behind inside 33 minutes as Konstantinos Fortunis opened the scoring and their lead was doubled when Angelo Ogbonna sliced the ball into the back of his own net just before half-time.

After a disastrous first half, which was described by The Athletic's Roshane Thomas as "poor", the visitors gave themselves a mountain to climb in the second and although a thunderous strike from substitute Lucas Paqueta in the 87th minute restored hope of a comeback, it was one that proved too steep.

David Moyes was ultimately punished for making seven changes to side the side that was thrashed 4-1 by Aston Villa on Sunday but given the hectic fixture schedule, he was almost forced into giving his fringe players a run-out, and they failed to make a positive impression.

One of those who put in a villainous display on the night was that man Ogbonna.

Angelo Ogbonna's performance against Olympiacos

Ogbonna endured a nightmare return to the starting XI on Thursday night as a comical own goal compounded a miserable performance all round for the Hammers.

The Italian had the chance to give Moyes food for thought ahead of their upcoming fixtures by putting in a stellar display. Instead, the 35-year-old did the opposite, perhaps showing his age in what was a shambolic performance.

Aside from being near faultless in possession by successfully completing 94% of his attempted passes, he deeply let West Ham down in a defensive capacity and was constantly caught out of position.

According to Sofascore, the former Juventus defender won none of his two ground duels, was dribbled past once and made zero tackles while also showing his ill-discipline by picking up a yellow card for his troubles.

If the stage was set for Ogbonna to put in a positive display, he crumbled under the pressure and has now given himself the difficult task of breaking back into the Scotsman's plans.

While the Italian was the ultimate villain from a defensive point of view, Pablo Fornals hardly set the world alight in an attacking sense, with the fleet-footed Spaniard not having his best game in claret and blue.

Pablo Fornals statistics against Olympiacos

Fornals has only started one game for West Ham in the Premier League this season – the opening day draw against Bournemouth – and on the evidence of his performance against Olympiacos, it is clear to see why Moyes prefers to play the talented Paqueta over him on the left flank.

The aforementioned Thomas noted that his performance was "disappointing" and that couldn't be any closer to the truth, with the 27-year-old showing he's a liability both in and out of possession, notably losing the ball nine times and enjoying a pass accuracy of just 72% – while also winning just one of his four total duels.

Such shortcomings in possession could well have been costly for the visitors and it wasn't a surprise to see West Ham rediscover their attacking vigour when he was hooked by his manager in the 57th minute and replaced by the eventual goalscorer, Paqueta.

That dismal showing saw Fornals ultimately record a meagre match rating of just 6.5, as per Sofascore, with that same as the lacklustre Ogbonna achieved from his defensive berth.

Having put in a lightweight and lethargic performance that cost the Hammers dearly, the Spaniard can count himself lucky that Moyes' squad is thin on the ground, giving him the opportunity to potentially redeem himself in the home fixture against the Greek outfit.