Emotional Andriy Yarmolenko sets West Ham on way to win over Aston Villa

Round-up: Everton lose to Wolves as relegation gears grow; Leeds and Watford both win

Ukrainian Andriy Yarmolenko celebrates with his West Ham team-mates after opening the scoring during the Premier League game against   Aston Villa  at London Stadium. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Ukrainian Andriy Yarmolenko celebrates with his West Ham team-mates after opening the scoring during the Premier League game against Aston Villa at London Stadium. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images

West Ham 2 Aston Villa 1

Andriy Yarmolenko scored an emotional goal on his return to football as West Ham beat Aston Villa 2-1.

The Ukraine forward was back in the Hammers squad for the first time since being granted compassionate leave due to the war in his homeland.

Yarmolenko received a standing ovation from both sets of fans as he came on as a 53rd-minute substitute for Michail Antonio.

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And the 32-year-old, whose family are still in Ukraine, was in tears after firing West Ham into the lead in the 70th minute.

It was a memorable, poignant moment in an otherwise forgettable match at the London Stadium.

Pablo Fornals hit West Ham's second and Jacob Ramsey grabbed Villa's consolation as the Hammers ended a three-game losing streak in all competitions.

But it came at a cost with injuries to Antonio and Aaron Cresswell, bad news with the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against Sevilla just four days away.

Everton 0 Wolves 1

Boyhood Liverpool fan Conor Coady headed a second-half winner for Wolves at Goodison Park to push 10-man Everton closer to their first relegation in 71 years.

The England international expertly glanced home Ruben Neves’s cross early in the second half and Jonjoe Kenny’s dismissal following two yellow cards in the space of three minutes saw the visitors coast to a 1-0 victory to move up to seventh in the Premier League table.

Wolves’ captain has now scored more league goals this season (three) than he had in his previous six combined.

Everton, by contrast, have not scored in their last three league games and that, coupled with Watford’s win at Southampton, leaves them outside the bottom three on goal difference alone.

Frank Lampard’s side do have three matches in hand on most of their rivals but a run of just nine points from the last 60 available and only two league wins since September has left a squad drained of confidence in danger of dropping out of the top flight for only the third time in their history and first since 1951.

Leeds 2 Norwich 1

Joe Gelhardt stepped off the bench to fire a stoppage-time winner as Leeds beat Premier League relegation rivals Norwich 2-1.

The 19-year-old striker replaced Mateusz Klich in the second minute of added time and salvaged his side's survival bid two minutes later after Kenny McLean's stoppage-time goal appeared to have snatched Norwich a point.

In a breathless finish, Leeds had let slip a slender lead after Rodrigo’s early opener only to end up snapping a club record equalling six-game winless run and secure head coach Jesse Marsch’s first win in charge at the third attempt.

In truth, Leeds should have been out of sight against Dean Smith's basement side as Raphinha twice struck the crossbar and Patrick Bamford fired wide with just Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul to beat.

But with just a one-goal deficit Norwich never gave up and looked to have snaffled a point when McLean turned home an equaliser at the death before Gelhardt struck.

Southampton 1 Watford 2

A brace from Cucho Hernandez kickstarted Watford’s survival bid with a 2-1 win at Southampton.

The Colombia attacker struck twice in the first half and although Mohamed Elyounoussi pulled one back for the hosts before half-time, the Hornets held on to register only their sixth Premier League win of the season.

Roy Hodgson’s side stay in the relegation zone but have moved up one position and are level on points with 17th-placed Everton.