Chance!

Premier League fans know about Daniel Podence and he drives forward at pace before setting up Sotiris Alexandropoulos for a shot from range that Alphonse Areola saves low down.

Waving massive flags in the stand makes for a fine sight from afar, but it's not going to make watching a game that easy. Some of those in that stand behind the goal are only going to see every other second.

Jeers ring out around the ground as Emiliano Martínez takes his time with the ball at his feet. Moments later Leon Bailey thinks he has won possession deep in the opposition half but the referee blows for a foul.

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The first effort at goal comes from Pablo Fornals, who combines well with an advanced Emerson before firing an angled effort straight at Olympiakos keeper Alexandros Paschalakis.

Bright start by Villa who are pressing Alkmaar's defence. The home side win a free-kick after leading scorer Vangelis Pavlidis is bundled over after being surrounded by three opposition players.

Good luck to the few hundred West Ham fans in here tonight trying to make themselves heard.

I don't know what the Greek equivalent of 'I'm forever blowing bubbles' is but it's winning out at the moment.

The atmosphere is as expected. To be fair, when you're threatening to metaphorically kick an opponent down a well you can't then sit there meekly.

There are four games featuring English sides in Europe tonight. Two of them are getting under way.

All the focus on Aston Villa and West Ham.

Not ones for pleasantries, Olympiakos greeted West Ham with a banner at one of the ends ahead of kick-off featuring the scene from '300' when a man is kicked down a well along with the phrase "Tonight you dine in hell!"

Cracking atmosphere in Alkmaar. Home fans are waving red, white and black flags as the teams emerge.

There's a few knocking back pints of lager in the stands.

• Olympiakos and West Ham last faced in the 1965-66 Cup Winners’ Cup last 16, with the Hammers progressing 6-2 on aggregate over two legs in what remains their only previous encounter with Greek opposition in Europe.
• West Ham have won each of their last eight major European competition group stage games – six in last season’s Europa Conference League and two in this season’s Europa League. The only English side to enjoy a longer group stage winning run in major European competition are Arsenal, who won 10 in succession in the Europa League from October 2020 to October 2022.
• Olympiakos are without a win in their last six home games against English clubs in major European competitions (D2 L4) since beating Manchester United 2-0 in the Champions League in February 2014.
• West Ham’s James Ward-Prowse has created 10 chances in this season’s Europa League, more than any other player, while he has three assists so far; the last English player to record more assists in a single group stage in the competition was Bukayo Saka for Arsenal in 2019-20 (4).

Image source, PA Media

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has called boss Unai Emery "one of the top five managers in the world".

Former Arsenal manager Emery became Aston Villa head coach in October 2022 after Steven Gerrard was sacked.

The Spaniard led Villa to seventh in the Premier League last season and they currently sit fifth in the table.

"When he signed I was over the moon," said Argentina World Cup winner Martinez.

"For me, Unai Emery is one of the top five managers in the world right now.

"Aston Villa is a club that wants to be in the Champions League and win a trophy. One of my conversations with Unai was about how to get there."

Image source, PA Media

Former Aston Villa midfielder Ian Taylor on the club's return to Europe: "We're quite happy going along the way we are with nobody really talking about us.

"But the more games we win, the more places we creep up that table and people start talking about us as a threat to the top six.

"When I was playing the fans loved those European nights at Villa Park and Unai Emery is trying to bring that back, trying to get us back into those top four places like we were back then.

"It's something we were used to in the past but it's been a long time so why not? Europe is a good thing for us."

Aston Villa

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, speaking to TNT Sports: "It's always difficult to play in Europe. AZ Alkmaar are playing at home, they reached the semi-finals last season and they will believe they are contenders this season.

"We have to be demanding each match, each minute and work hard. We have to respect the competition. It is always amazing to play in the Europe."

David Michael
My Old Man Said podcast

Image source, Getty Images

After Villa's win against West Ham, Unai Emery, a four-time Europa League winner, admitted his dream is to win the Champions League.

It matches the Villa owners’ goal. So, this is where it gets interesting this season.

Most Villa fans would like the club to have a serious stab at winning the Europa Conference League.

But will Villa sacrifice Europe’s third tier competition and try and fast-track their heady ambitions by concentrating on the league?

Image source, Getty Images

Olympiakos and West Ham last faced in the 1965-66 Cup Winners’ Cup last 16, with the Hammers progressing 6-2 on aggregate over two legs in what remains their only previous encounter with Greek opposition in Europe.

Geoff Hurst scored twice in the home leg, which they won 4-0. Martin Peters scored both goals in the 2-2 away draw.

They reached the semi-finals of the competition that season, losing 5–2 on aggregate to Borussia Dortmund.

Lots of Aston Villa flags and banners on display in Alkmaar.

Ron Saunders guided Villa into Europe for the first time in 1975 and the club have appeared in European competitions during 17 seasons, famously winning the European Cup in 1982.

Appearances in the Uefa Cup, Intertoto Cup and Europa League have followed, but thi season s is the club’s first foray into Europe since 2010.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham’s James Ward-Prowse has created 10 chances in this season’s Europa League, more than any other player, while he has three assists so far; the last English player to record more assists in a single group stage in the competition was Bukayo Saka for Arsenal in 2019-20 (4).

Image source, Getty Images

AZ Alkmaar have made a strong start to the season and sit second in the Dutch League, one point behind leaders PSV Eindhoven.

Keeper Mat Ryan played three Premier League games for Arsenal in 2021 while on loan from Brighton - including one in a 1-0 defeat at Villa Park.

Greece forward Vangelis Pavlidis has scored 13 goals in nine Dutch Eredivisie games this season.

James Jones, We Are West Ham, external

In today's game, it's rare that you lose convincingly and have to hold your hands up and accept you lost to a better team. Unless it's against the likes of Manchester City, there's often something you can point to in a 4-1 defeat and suggest it turned the game against you. A free-kick that wasn't, a VAR mistake or a dubious handball decision, there's often something you can blame.

But for West Ham, losing 4-1 to Aston Villa was thoroughly deserved. Villa were brilliant and are on a great run of form. They thoroughly deserved the win and we thoroughly deserved to lose.

But now, we have to hope this is just a rare blip in what has been a fantastic era under David Moyes in east London. There is no evidence that Sunday's result is a real cause for concern. Yes, it's a disappointment, especially as it was against a team we'll be competing against for a top-seven finish, but it's still been a fantastic start to the campaign for us.

I alluded to this a few weeks ago in this very column but, under Moyes, West Ham don't get thrashed very often. In the 190 games he's taken charge over the four years since his return, we've conceded four or more goals and lost by three or more on just six occasions each. That's just over 3% of fixtures in the last four years where we've been thrashed.

What we need to see now is a reaction. Every team has a bad day in the office every once in a while, but the sign of a good team is in the reaction to those days. We've got a trip to Olympiakos on Thursday before the visit of Everton on Sunday to prove the defeat to Villa was just that.

If we don't see a reaction, then there might be room for us to be concerned. Until then, let's just accept we lost to a better team on Sunday.