James Milner turned jeers into cheers as he scored in what could be his last game for Aston Villa and gave caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald the perfect start to the new season.

The Villa midfielder started the match even though he is expected to join Manchester City this week, and his name was greeted with boos when it was read out before kick-off.

He scored Villa’s third goal after 66 minutes, after first-half efforts from Stewart Downing and Stiliyan Petrov had put the home side in control, but he barely celebrated in front of the Holte End. However, the goal was just reward for a vibrant display from Villa, who shrugged off the exit of Martin O’Neill in style.

West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green was also jeered after his World Cup howler. Green made an uncertain start as Villa applied early pressure and he was forced to tip the ball over the bar after an attempted punch clearance went straight up in the air. Villa forced three corners in as many minutes and almost took the lead when Richard Dunne beat Green to Downing’s cross but his powerful header flew over the bar.

West Ham’s defence fell asleep after the debutant Winston Reid conceded a free-kick and Downing was allowed time and space to stand up a cross for John Carew, who planted his header just wide. West Ham’s defending was comically bad at times and Carew should have put Villa ahead when he latched on to a dreadful back-pass from James Tomkins.

Carew’s poor first touch gave Green time to race off his line but his deflection crashed off Tomkins and on to the post before West Ham could clear.

A Villa goal seemed inevitable and it duly came after 15 minutes. Green parried Ashley Young’s fierce cross out to Marc Albrighton, who volleyed the rebound goalwards and forced the West Ham keeper into a diving save. But Green could only push the ball to Downing, who scored from the six-yard line.

Young almost doubled Villa’s advantage when he escaped the West Ham defence but Green produced an excellent fingertip save to push his shot over the bar. Reid was struggling on his Premier League debut and was even penalised for a foul throw as West Ham failed to relieve the almost constant pressure. Carlton Cole made one powerful run into the Villa box but he had no-one in support and his shot was dragged across the face of the goal.

Villa continued to dominate and they went further ahead five minutes before the break. Albrighton got the better of Herita Ilunga before pulling the ball back to Young, who picked out Petrov’s driving run into the box and the Bulgarian headed home. Villa’s keeper Brad Friedel was called into serious action only once in the half and he was equal to Luis Boa Morte’s shot after the former Portugal international had made space inside the box.

The West Ham manager Avram Grant switched West Ham’s formation to 4-4-2 at the interval and sent on Pablo Barrera and Frederic Piquionne for Radoslav Kovac and Boa Morte, who had looked off the pace. Barrera’s first real contribution was to concede a free-kick, which Downing curled towards the top corner and Green was relieved to see it dip just over the bar.

The thunder and lightning that cracked overhead seemed to spark West Ham into action and Tomkins rose well to meet Mark Noble’s cross but his header back across the face of goal flew wide of Friedel’s right-hand post. Villa wrapped up the game through Milner soon after following another bustling run from Albrighton. The 20-year-old forced his way past Tomkins and pulled it back to Milner, who lashed a first-time shot past Green.

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• Italian stunned by Sullivan’s open letter criticism
• Run of five defeats has piled pressure on West Ham

Gianfranco Zola has responded to this week’s criticism from David Sullivan by refusing to dismiss the idea that Sullivan and his fellow West Ham owner, David Gold, were trying to force him out in continuing to publicly undermine him. “What the hell is going on? Jesus Christ,” he said in frustration.

Sullivan’s latest comments, in which he called Zola’s team “shambolic”, came in an open letter published on the club’s website after Tuesday’s 3-1 home defeat by Wolves. Zola, visibly exasperated by Sullivan’s intervention, insisted at first he would not retaliate. “I’m not going to answer back because it doesn’t deserve it,” the Italian said. “I will keep my focus on my job, I have a responsibility and will turn it into a positive thing for me and my players. I will keep my head down and focus on the job.”

But when pressed Zola admitted: “I tell you what I’ve been thinking about all [of] this situation and I said: ‘What the hell is going on here? Jesus Christ.’ And then I question: ‘Am I doing everything I can?’ I say: ‘Yes. I’m doing it with passion, I’m doing it with honesty.’ So why should I be kicking myself or banging my head against the wall? That’s what I say.

“Sometimes things don’t work. Maybe the job I am doing is not good. But I do it with honesty. If it is not good they just tell me. I have no problem with that.”

The Wolves defeat was West Ham’s fifth successive league reverse and leaves the club three points above the relegation zone ahead of the difficult visit of Stoke City.

If West Ham are again defeated and one of Hull City or Burnley – who are directly below the Upton Park club – were to win this weekend then Zola’s position could come under consideration by Sullivan and Gold, despite assurances this week that he would not be sacked.

Asked if Zola thinks Gold’s and Sullivan’s continual public utterances might be their way of driving him out, he said: “That is a good question. I don’t know. Obviously I understand the chairman Mr Sullivan is very much concerned about the situation. We are not in a very good position and he is concerned. I am concerned as much as him. I have faith in the players I am working with.”

Zola admitted he had no prior knowledge that Sullivan’s letter was to be published. The manager said that while he had spoken with Gold at the training ground he had not had any discussions with Sullivan.

“I don’t think I’m going to speak to him,” he said. Asked why, he said: “I don’t even think about it. The game tomorrow is more important than anything else.”

Zola insisted Sullivan’s words were not a distraction. He said: “No. I will tell you tomorrow after the game. We are very professional and I will focus on the game. The good thing about football, the thing