26 October 2024
Aston Villa 1 Bournemouth 1
Aston Villa are really enjoying life under Unai Emery. They have made their best start to a Premier League season and currently sit top of the new format Champions League. They welcomed Bournemouth to Villa Park who had suffered a spate of injuries to key players this week. Despite this, the visitors arrived in confident mood having beaten Arsenal last weekend.
The hosts made a positive start, as you would expect given their form, forcing a free kick in a dangerous position. Digne clipped a ball into the back post where Onana met it with a solid header. It seemed destined for the net until Travers managed to make a fingertip save to send it behind for a corner. Standing in for the injured Kepa, he seemed keen to make that jersey his.
Emery’s side were pressing The Cherries high up the pitch and causing the visitors plenty of problems in possession. One such moment saw Ramsey get free down the left and put a teasing ball across the six yard box. Sadly for the hosts it was too far ahead of Watkins for him to convert. The striker seemed to keep the ball in and lay off into the path of fit-again McGinn.
The Scottish midfielder shifted it onto his favoured left foot and bent a shot into the far corner. Villa Park erupted as the ball nestled into the back of the net. Their celebrations were short-lived however as a VAR review adjudged that the ball had gone out when Watkins retrieved it. As the replay showed, this was the correct decision.
Semenyo had seen little of the ball in the early stages but turned provider as he spotted the run of Kluivert. He struck a vicious shot from distance which asked some serious questions of Martinez in the Villa goal. The keeper did well to claw the ball out of the top corner and put it behind. It showed just how dangerous Iraola’s side could be on the counter-attack.
Aston Villa started piling the pressure on the visitors. With so little to do in a defensive nature, the hosts were able to throw numbers forward. Konsa picked the ball up on the edge of the box and made enough room to get a shot off at goal. Once again Travers came to the rescue of The Cherries as he made another world-class save to turn it behind for a corner.
Into the second-half and the game continued in the same vein. McGinn was making a big difference to the Villa midfield and his creativity was causing the visitors problems. As the ball was half-cleared it dropped to Torres outside the box. The defender struck a crisp shot but Travers was there again to tip the effort over the bar.
The hosts were starting to wonder what they would have to do to beat the Bournemouth keeper. As a corner was whipped in, Watkins rose to meet it with a header. His goal-bound effort forced another save from the impressive Travers. He was stopping everything that Aston Villa could throw at him. The fans were starting to wonder whether it would be one of those days.
Emery turned to his super-sub Duran once again. He and Watkins linked up well as the England striker gave him a clear sight of goal. His well struck effort grazed the post as it narrowly went wide of the goal. He hung his head in shame, knowing what a chance that was to give his side the lead in this tight game at Villa Park.
With just under fifteen minutes remaining, the hosts finally broke the deadlock. Watkins did well to work some space before laying it out wide. As the ball was clipped towards the back post, Bailey headed it down into the path of Barkley. He reacted well to tuck the ball past Travers and Villa Park exploded into a cauldron of noise.
Bournemouth came to life after the goal. With time running out, they started to ask some questions of the Aston Villa defence. The Cherries felt they should have had a penalty when Semenyo went to ground but the referee instead booked the Bournemouth player for simulation. The replay showed there had been contact but it seemed the player had instigated it to try and win a spot-kick.
As the visitors forced a corner, the ball seemed to strike the arm of Bailey. The referee waved away their protests and the replay showed there seemed to be little intent from the Aston Villa man. We have got to a point with the modern game where most people don’t even know what constitutes handball now. To be fair, most of the officials in this league don’t seem to know the rules either.
In the sixth minute of added time, Bournemouth were awarded a free kick in a wide position. Aston Villa knew this would be the last chance of the game and all they had to do was defend it. As the cross was swung in, Evanilson made a run and his glancing header saw the ball nestle into the bottom corner of the goal. Heartbreak for the home faithful.
Andoni Iraola’s side had got an unlikely equaliser as it had seemed that the hosts had got the win that they had craved. After beating The Gunners last weekend, it was another impressive result for The Cherries. They have shown that on their day, they can be a match for any side in this league. While they find themselves mid-table, it is very tight and a run of results could soon change that.
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