[Source: BBC Sports]

West Ham destroyed a 10-man Aston Villa side with a 4-1 victory giving them a fourth consecutive defeat.

The result leaves West Ham on points with third-placed Manchester City in fourth, while Villa remains 15th, three points above the bottom three.

Ben Johnson opened the scoring for the visitors with a low drive into the bottom left corner from 18 yards after being picked out by Declan Rice’s cross-field pass.

And Rice drove into the same corner to restore the Hammers’ lead after Ollie Watkins had swept home an equaliser following good work from Emiliano Buendia near the byline.

Though Villa rallied and saw Watkins head against the bar from John McGinn’s cross their hopes of taking anything from the contest were ultimately undermined by Ezri Konsa’s dismissal for a foul on Jarrod Bowen.

The central defender was sent off with the Hammers forward judged to be through on goal and moments after Kortney Hause escaped punishment for a challenge on Pablo Fornals.

With Villa pressing forward for an equaliser, Fornals tapped in a third on the break and Bowen rounded off the scoring for West Ham with another close-range finish into an empty net after good work from Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini.

West Ham’s victory epitomised their fine start to the campaign and they have now earned more points at this stage of the season than any other, bar 1975-76.

Meanwhile, in another EPL match, Leeds defeated Norwich 2-1.