Constantinos Mavropanos says that despite West Ham United's 0-2 defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League, the team's performance in the second half has kept them optimistic about the upcoming crucial schedule.

West Ham United's number 15 player admitted that the team encountered considerable difficulties in the early stages of the game at Villa Park. In the 15th minute, John McGinn scored with a curling shot, and the score could have been further widened if not for several crucial saves and blocks by goalkeeper Maz Hermanson and Constantinos Mavropanos.

After the start of the second half, West Ham United entered the game with a clearer objective. They could have pulled one back if Axel Disasi and Pablo had capitalized on their chances, or if Jarrod Bowen's shot hadn't been brilliantly blocked by Pau Torres. However, they ultimately paid the price defensively – punished on the other end when Ollie Watkins tapped in from close range after Hermanson saved Morgan Rodgers' initial shot, sealing the victory for the home side.

After the match, Constantinos Mavropanos said, "I think the team improved in the second half. In the first half, we failed to control the game well defensively. The opponent created a lot of space and tried to attack by stretching the floor, which made it difficult for us to cope at times."

"But as I said in the second half, the team's control of the game improved. Unfortunately, we conceded a second goal and failed to score on the other end. The formation was more compact, and we had better control of the tempo and the situation on the pitch, including responding more effectively to runs into space."

Ahead of the match, West Ham United centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo was unavailable due to injury, leading to a formation change with midfielder Freddie Potts starting. Mavropano admitted this wasn't ideal, but he believed he and his defensive teammates had done their best to adapt.

Constantinos Mavropanos continued: "This game is an important moment for Jean-Claire Todibo. But it's been somewhat frustrating that we've been trying a four-defender formation for the past few weeks, since we were originally planning to play with three center-backs. However, I think we've played against some strong teams with a four-defender formation before."

“We have narrowed the gap in recent games, so the key is our performance on the field, and the final ranking will be revealed. Of course, the season is still long, and the team has shown resilience in recent games. We just need to maintain a positive attitude and keep working hard to achieve our goal.”

Image source: Internet/West Ham United official website