Contrite Ayew desperate to make amends for red card

Aston Villa winger Jordan Ayew has apologised for his early dismissal in the 2-0 Premier League defeat by West Ham United and is looking to make amends for the error as soon as possible.

Ayew clashed with West Ham's Aaron Cresswell 17 minutes into Tuesday's encounter at Upton Park and the Ghanaian international was shown a straight red card after he appeared to elbow the full-back in the face.

The 24-year-old is Aston Villa's top scorer in the league with five goals and has been one of the very few bright spots in a dismal campaign that sees the side rooted to the foot of the table and out of both domestic cup competitions.

"Looking back at my impulsive actions I sincerely apologise to the supporters of Villa, my team mates, Villa staff and my coach," Ayew told the club's website.

"I take full responsibility for my actions and I don't wish to dwell on my mistake. Rather, I want to look forward to playing again to prove myself to be true to claret and blue as I have done from the moment I joined the club.

"I do not intend to slow down now. To my fans and everyone I offended, I ask that you join me in moving on from this unfortunate situation as I continue to focus on my career and the success of the team. We fight till the end. Up the Villa!"

Villa host fellow relegation candidates Norwich City on Saturday with Ayew missing out on the fixture as he starts a three-match ban for his dismissal.

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