Aston Villa got back to winning ways in the Premier League with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth at Villa Park on Sunday.
Villa bounced back from last week’s loss to Liverpool in emphatic fashion, as Bournemouth suffered a second straight defeat.
Emiliano Buendia put Villa ahead in the 28th minute with a sensational free-kick, before Amadou Onana doubled the hosts’ lead before half-time with a powerful low drive.
Bournemouth were handed a lifeline midway through the second half when Morgan Rogers was penalised for handball, but Emiliano Martinez guessed correctly to keep out Antoine Semenyo’s tame spot-kick.
Substitutes Ross Barkley and Donyell Malen then put Villa out of sight, as Unai Emery’s team moved into seventh, while Bournemouth dropped to ninth.
How the match unfolded
Villa threatened early on as Matty Cash’s teasing lob forced a nervous save from Djordje Petrovic, before Boubacar Kamara stung the Serbian’s palms, but the pressure told when Buendia brilliantly finessed his free-kick into the top corner.
The hosts continued to turn the screws in search of a second, and found it in the 40th minute, as Onana drilled a superb low strike into the bottom-left corner.
Alex Scott, fresh off his first-ever England call-up, nearly clawed one back 10 minutes into the second half, sending a looping effort over a back-pedalling Martinez, only for the Villa goalkeeper to produce a stunning fingertip save.
Evanilson’s clever header struck the woodwork three minutes later, and Bournemouth’s improved display earned them a penalty when the ball hit Rogers’ hand. Martinez, though, was equal to Semenyo’s spot-kick.
Villa made the most of the let off, sealing the win in the 77th minute as Barkley glanced Lucas Digne’s corner into the far corner, before Malen added further gloss five minutes later by diverting Youri Tielemans’ strike beyond Petrovic.
Villa’s attack clicks but Martinez stands up to be counted
Emery’s side saw an impressive six-match unbeaten streak in the league come to an end at the hands of Liverpool last time out, but after winning in the UEFA Europa League in midweek, there will have been plenty of confidence in Villa’s squad heading into this game.
The early sighters for Cash and Kamara set the tone, while Buendia’s opener was the moment of magic Villa required to make their dominance count. The Villans ramped up the pressure from there and Pau Torres headed close amid a scramble in the box, while the hosts also had a penalty appeal dismissed following a VAR review for a pull on Onana by Veljko Milosavljevic.
Moments before Onana doubled their advantage, Villa came close through Ollie Watkins, whose point-blank poke off John McGinn’s swinging free-kick was blocked. Later on, Malen could easily have doubled or even trebled his tally, as he saw two presentable opportunities pass him by.
For all their attacking quality, though, Villa will know matters might have been very different if not for Martinez, who came up big when required to thwart Semenyo.
Villa will look to continue the momentum when they take on Leeds United at Elland Road on 23 November.
A day to forget for the Cherries
Bournemouth came into the game looking to bounce back after their eight-match unbeaten run was ended by Manchester City, but they struggled to find any sort of rhythm in the first half.
They were not helped when captain Adam Smith was forced off after just 10 minutes following a clash of heads with team-mate Tyler Adams.
Andoni Iraola’s side struggled to impose themselves, with Marcus Tavernier blasting a free-kick well over the bar before Justin Kluivert hit the side-netting on the stroke of half-time.
The Cherries came out for the second half with renewed energy and would have got themselves back in the game through Scott’s looping shot, if not for Martinez’s stunning diving save.
That chance preceded Bournemouth’s best spell, as Evanilson ghosted in at the back-post and saw a close-range header rattle the upright, before Semenyo squandered their best opportunity from 12 yards out.
The penalty miss seemed to deflate the visitors, though, and ultimately they were perhaps fortunate not to lose by more.
Bournemouth must now lick their wounds and look to get back on course when they host a resurgent West Ham United after the international break.