Premier League: Emery’s Villa Can Pick Off the Cherries

Aston Villa vs Bournemouth

They have become one of the most attractive and ruthlessly successful sides in English football since the arrival of Unai Emery in 2022, and Aston Villa are going from strength to strength again this season.

With 15 points from their first eight games, the Villains have recorded their best start to a top flight campaign in 26 years and they sit fourth in the table, behind Arsenal only on goal difference. And in their first Champions League campaign this century, Emery’s team is balancing domestic and European matters brilliantly, already beating FC Bayern. 

The Villains’ next league date, Premier League: Aston Villa vs Bournemouth will be well worth watching as Andoni Iraola’s Cherries stunned Arsenal last week, beating the Gunners which, of course, did Villa a huge favour. They won’t expect any help this week but I doubt they will need it, and the Aston Villa vs Bournemouth betting odds are clear in their support for a home win.  

 

Talking Points

Villa getting it right at the business ends

With 15 goals in eight games only Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have scored more than Villa this season and there is surely much more to come from this talented attack. Star striker Ollie Watkins with five goals and Jhon Duran with four are forming a lethal relationship, while attacking midfielder Youri Tielemnes is enjoying his football at Villa Park, making three assists so far this season and one in the 3-1 win over Fulham.

Watkins scored a brilliant header in the win over the Cottagers and it was his 400^th senior appearance, 154 for Villa, and he has now scored 64 goals for the East Midlanders. A deflected effort from 22-year-old Morgan Rogers and an own goal from Issa Diop made it a comfortable win for Villa, Raul Jimenez scoring for Fulham.

Villa are becoming savvy under Emery, adding grit and game management to their undoubted talent and the manager was delighted in the aftermath of their win over the Cottagers, saying: “We needed to play this match like we did, competing here against Fulham because they have very good players and it’s always really difficult to beat them here.” 

His team has now rescued ten points from losing positions this season, the joint highest alongside Manchester City and, while they have conceded early at times, Emery reserves special praise for his goalkeeper, who saved a penalty against Fulham: “Emiliano Martinez is the best goalkeeper in the world,” he said, “and it means we need him in moments like today.”      

 

Kluivert is class for the Cherries

Bournemouth are sitting handily in 11^th place in the Premier League table and Iraola will be pleased with the clear progress of forward Justin Kluivert, who has been in fine form, making two assists; and Kluivert coolly slotted home the penalty which gave Bournemouth their sensational  2-0 win over Arsenal. They were helped by the first-half sending off of the Gunners centre-back William Saliba, but the Cherries certainly dominated against ten men, with 13 shots to six and four to one on target, and in the end they deserved to inflict a first league defeat of the season on Mikel Arteta’s title chasers.   

The manager will be particularly delighted with the first goal, a training ground move which worked to perfection as Kluivert cleverly flicked back a short corner into the path of Ryan Christie and he smashed a beauty of a shot high into the Arsenal net. Iraola was aware of the Gunners’ set-piece prowess and he found a way to beat them: “The advantage they have at set plays is that they are taller than us,” he said. “So we had to find another way to make a difference. Today it worked and it was important.”   

With three goals Antoine Semenyo is the only Bournemouth player to score more than once this term and he will line up against Villa alongside Brazilian striker Evanilson with Kluivert in support.

But the Cherries’ busiest man may turn out to be Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, currently on loan from Chelsea, and with a point to prove.  

 

History

The head-to-head Aston Villa vs Bournemouth results have been shared equally with four wins each and a draw from the last nine meetings.

In terms of recent form, the hosts are stronger with four wins and two draws from the last six games and they are unbeaten in nine games in all competitions; but the Cherries can be dangerous customers and have won three and lost three of their last five matches. 

 

Betting Tip

The Villains were in Champions League action at home to Serie A side Bologna on Tuesday night so the Cherries have longer to rest and recuperate with a full week to prepare for this clash. Iraola’s underdogs can be backed at 3.39 with the draw at SBOTOP odds of 3.40 and the Double Chance: Bournemouth or Draw at 1.97…but that’s not for me, and I’m sticking with Emery’s Clarets.

   

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