It is likely that the next eight days determine what will happen to Aston Villa and West Ham during the remaining four months of the season.
The search for a central by Villa became even more urgent when Tyrone Mings, who had started the game as one of the only central defenders in form, suffered what seemed a worrying knee injury during the first half.
And the search for a forward by the West Ham will surely intensify. If Graham Potter's team had had a strong and confident center striker, he would have achieved three points after an enormously encouraging performance.
The head of Transfers of Villa, Monchi, will be busy until the transfer window is closed on February 3, as well as the president of the West Ham, David Sullivan, while the club is finalizing the departure of the technical director Tim Steidten.
The goals in each half of Jacob Ramsey and Emerson meant that the points were distributed while referee Peter Bankes lost control in the first half and fought to recover it. Lucas Paya escaped from the punishment for his pathetic attempt to expel Lucas Digne just before the break and there were several conflicting episodes that Bankes simply did not handle well enough.
The result also means that Villa has not been able to win any of its last six league games after a match of the Champions League, a record that they must improve to have the possibility of returning to the competition next season.
The West Ham coach Graham Potter exchanged his goalkeepers, brought Alphonse Areola for Lukasz Fabiannski, and aligned four sides, with Vladimir Coufal in the last three instead of the sanctioned Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Emerson Palmieri scored the goal of the tie and the West Ham tied 1-1 with Aston Villa on Sunday.
Palmieri nodded to tie the score during the second half in Birmingham.
The visitors were incredibly numb in the first 10 minutes. Only a good entry of Max Kilman prevented Ramsey from being ahead and it was not a surprise that Ramsey gave Villa an advantage in the eighth minute.
The midfielder exchanged passes with Ollie Watkins, making its appearance number 200, for Villa, entered the area and found the lower corner. It was Watkins's 100 goal in a good stage in Villa Park.
With the suspended boss Unai Emery watching from the elegant seats, Villa was unbridled. Morgan Rogers had the ball on the network only for Watkins to be annulled offside, on both sides of the opportunities to Boubacar Kamara and Leon Bailey. It is not surprising that West Ham chant fans “have the ball” when Mohammed Kudus finally created a moment of danger.
Although West Ham was improving, Villa kept them at a distance. Just before half an hour came the time that tarnished the first half, when Mings received a late challenge from Kudus and fell clutching his left knee.
After a delay of four minutes, Mings tried to continue, but after Watkins nodded a free kick from Youri Tielemans, the central had to end the day the day he could not jump to finish off head with a packet.
Mings was visibly excited and still covering his face with his shirt. Emery seemed agitated and Monchi looked at the sky. Perhaps now more than one center is needed in the last days of the transfer window. For now, the left side Digne was asked to be located next to Ezri Konsa in the center.
Digne was at the center of attention at the discount time of the first half while the teams were preparing for a free kick of the West Ham. The Frenchman moved his elbow to Paquetá, who collapsed as if he had received a blow to Tyson Fury's stomach. Paquetá's attempts to expel Digne were dismissed by referee Peter Bankes and the VAR. So why did the Brazilian also escape from punishment for such a shameless simulation? After the shot was finally executed, Tielemans blocked Kudus's shot near the line. Pay was booed at rest.
Paquetá could have silenced local fans at the beginning of the second half when he cleared Cansa cleanly only to fail the goal after meeting his tangled feet. Villa had another escape moments later when you take Soucek somehow he failed to force the ball through the line from within the six -yard area.
Konsa went out to the rescue of Villa shortly after the game time. Martínez failed a deep center of Kudus and the ball arrived in Carlos Soler, with Kons perfectly positioned in the line to block the goal attempt.
The Villa Bank had seen enough and sent Donyell Malen and Jhon last for Watkins and Bailey, and Malen had tried Areola for a minute after his arrival. Shortly after the replacement, Mings walked only for the band line and sat on the bench, after greeting fans with the thumb up.
Villa had begun to be vulnerable under the high ball and Emerson moved away from Matty Cash in the second stick to head a center of Álvarez beyond Martínez.
Jacob Ramsey opened the scoring with a beautiful shot in the eighth minute of the game.
Ramsey gave his team a perfect start of the game, but they could not maintain the advantage.
And with cash exposed again in the same place, Soucek should at least have nodded a center of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to the arch. Villa was now under the attack, although they last almost surprising Kilman when he slid towards a Maatsen pass and guided his shot diverted by little.
Wan-Bissaka continued to cause problems on the right and in its last center, the substitute Danny Ings was diverted with a satin shot from 16 yards. The Hammers thought they had won it thanks to Paquetá with the final shot, but the offside flag also denied it.