Villa Cruise to Emphatic Win Over Bournemouth

At a glance

Four different scorers as Aston Villa notch up fourth consecutive home league win

Villa goakeeper Emiliano Martinez saves Antoine Semenyo penalty

Bournemouth have won just once in last six league away games

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Aston Villa swaggered to their biggest Premier League win of the season with an emphatic four-goal victory over Bournemouth.

Emiliano Buendia put Villa in front moments before the half-hour mark with an exquisite free-kick from just outside the box.

Villa added a second when Morgan Rogers nutmegged Alex Jimenez and fed the ball to Amadou Onana, who arrowed a low shot into the corner of the net.

Bournemouth were much improved after the interval and Alex Scott’s deflected shot forced Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to backpedal and tip over.

The Cherries were then awarded a penalty after Rogers’ arm blocked Evanilson’s header back across goal.

However, Martinez anticipated that Antoine Semenyo would strike the spot kick low to his right and produced a diving save to keep it out – to the glee of the Holte End behind him.

What could have been a tricky final period for Villa had Semenyo converted became a cakewalk for the Claret and Blues.

Ross Barkley notched a third with a glancing header from a Lucas Digne corner.

Fellow substitute Donyell Malen then put the gloss on the result when he changed the path of a low drive from Youri Tielemans to wrong-foot Djordje Petrovic in the Bourenmouth goal.

Villa moved up to seventh in the table with the win – level on 18 points with the Cherries, but above them and Manchester United on goal difference.

Villa analysis: Good day for Buendia but Watkins struggles

Villa players’ focus key to victory – Emery

Villa’s apparent attacking shortcomings – especially in the early part of the season – have been well documented.

Those sluggish early games, when they went four matches without scoring, now feel like a distant memory.

After a fourth consecutive home win, Villa Park looks to be back to the fortress Unai Emery made it last season, when they lost just once in the league.

Their biggest margin of victory this season was underpinned by an impressive display by Buendia, as the revival of his Villa career continues.

Buendia’s future looked uncertain in the summer after he spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen after struggling to break into the Villa side.

His performance against Bournemouth was purposeful, and was capped with a fine goal.

The 28-year-old Argentine won the Premier League’s goal of the month award for October for his winner against Tottenham.

He provided a contender for November with the opener on Sunday, getting his effort up and over the Bournemouth wall with goalkeeper Petrovic only able to watch it fly into the net.

While Bunedia enjoyed a good day – he is now Villa’s top scorer with three – it was one of frustration for Ollie Watkins.

Watkins has scored just once in 16 games in all competitions for the club this season.

Getting a tune out of the 29-year-old striker will be high on Emery’s to-do list.

Bournemouth analysis: Cherries lack cutting edge on the road

Everything went wrong in the first half for Bournemouth – Iraola

Plenty of plaudits have come Andoni Iraola’s way this season for his team’s impressive start.

But the supporters who follow Bournemouth on the road might be slightly frustrated by the lack of cutting edge away from home.

Bournemouth have now won just one of their last six Premier League away games this season.

Against Villa, they had their chances but failed to be decisive in key moments.

Evanilson should have done better with a couple of opportunities – heading against the post from a corner, and miscontrolling when put through on goal.

Iraola was also guilty, perhaps, of a tactical misstep.

Bournemouth were 2-0 down but applying the pressure, and Villa were wobbling.

However, Iraola decided to make a treble substitution just after the hour mark.

From that point, the Cherries lost momentum and rhythm, and Villa killed them off.

What’s next for these teams?

Aston Villa are away to Leeds in the Premier League on 23 November (14:00 GMT) before a home Europa League fixture against Swiss outfit Young Boys four days later (17:45).

Bournemouth host West Ham at the Vitality Stadium on 22 November (15:00).

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Source: BBC