Steven Gerrard makes Declan Rice point and issues big Aston Villa transfer message

Two slips of concentration cost Aston Villa dearly at the London Stadium on Sunday as Andriy Yarmolenko and Pablo Fornals scored within 12 second-half minutes to condemn Steven Gerrard's men to their first defeat in four matches.

Villa allowed Said Benrahma to cut inside for the opener, Yarmolenko peeled off Tyrone Mings and Calum Chambers and fired home instinctively after being given time to swivel inside the 18-yard box.

For the second, John McGinn played a risky pass to Leon Bailey and Declan Rice - a player Gerrard waxed lyrical about afterwards - nipped in to start a trademark counter-attack before Fornals swept home what was a four-on-two in West Ham's favour.

Villa did pull a goal back they arguably deserved late on when Jacob Ramsey placed home his sixth of the season following a cut-back from substitute Emi Buendia.

BirminghamLive's Ashley Preece was at the London Stadium and here are his big talking points:

Villa's last four defeats - Brentford, Newcastle, Watford and now West Ham - have all come when they've had the lion's share of the ball and, on Sunday, it was clear that Gerrard wanted his side to build up patiently from the back. In their three wins on the spin prior to Sunday's defeat, Villa allowed the opposition - Brighton, Southampton, Leeds - more possession.

Villa enjoyed large spells of the ball on Sunday but, when it mattered in the final third, it often fizzled out.

"I thought building up we were good today," Gerrard said. "It was a combination of us lacking a bit of creativity in the final third but, also, West Ham being really strong in that department, defensively strong and organised. It's probably a combination of both why we haven't got anything from today."

Villa registered seven