Bournemouth 0 Aston Villa 1 - Report

The striker’s goal on the stroke of half-time earned Unai Emery’s team a victory which kept them firmly in the race for a top-five finish.

Villa had to hold off late pressure from the hosts after Jacob Ramsey was sent-off after receiving two yellow cards.

Emi Martinez saved from Evanilson and Antoine Semenyo, with Daniel Jebbison unable to convert from a yard out.

Analysis

In a game of few chances, Villa never looked like relinquishing the lead Watkins gave them in the dying seconds of the first half, until Ramsey was dismissed by referee Stuart Attwell with 10 minutes to go.

The midfielder, booked in the first half for his reaction to being fouled himself, was shown a second yellow for tripping David Brooks.

That set up a tense for the visitors and there was almost a repeat of the reverse fixture earlier in the season, when Bournemouth equalised with the last kick.

This time Martinez saved Semenyo’s header with Jebbison sending the ball over the bar from a yard out, the presence of Matty Cash crucial to the miss.

Victory means Villa will play European football for a third straight season. No mean feat.

But they are also guaranteed to finish the weekend no worse than a point outside the top five, with matches at home to Tottenham and away to Manchester United to finish the season.

It was a win which owed much to Watkins and Martinez, two players who have perhaps not hit the heights of previous seasons this term but remain vital to the team.

Watkins moved above Gabriel Agbonlahor in Villa's scoring charts with his 75th Premier League goal.

Tyrone Mings was back in the team for the first time in three weeks and involved in the early action, his stray elbow catching Alex Scott and prompting the first of three appearances by the Bournemouth physio in the first 15 minutes.

Amadou Onana, replacing the injured Youri Tielemans, created the first chance when he burst out of midfield and found Watkins. The latter took a heavy touch but the ball ran to Jacob Ramsey, another of those drafted into the line-up, and his curling effort cleared the bar.

Bournemouth’s first effort on goal came from an Evanilson header which never seriously looked like troubling Martinez. 

It was tentative stuff, from both teams, before Villa began to up the tempo in the final 10 minutes of the half.

From what felt like nowhere, Marco Asensio sent a shot against the base of the post after the ball broke to him just outside the box.

Villa were starting to play in the home side’s half. Lucas Digne sent in a cross and Boubacar Kamara, arriving at the far post, looked certain to score. But Kepa kept the header out with his legs and was then nimble enough to catch Cash’s follow-up.

With seconds of the half remaining, Villa then took the lead. Semenyo tried to nutmeg Cash deep in his own half and the ball broke to Rogers. Watkins steered the instant cross beyond Kepa and inside the far post for his record-breaking goal.

Villa left the field with the away fans singing Watkins’ name and they were almost cheering again seconds after the restart. Kamara found space on the edge of the box and lashed a shot just wide.

Justin Kluivert had come on for the home side and fashioned a chance when quick feet took him past Konsa but he stabbed the finish well wide, before attempting to dive over Martinez.

Almost nothing of note happened until Ramsey was sent-off with 10 minutes remaining.

The midfielder, booked in the first half for an angry reaction to being fouled himself by Adam Smith, caught the legs of David Brooks as the latter looked to break. 

Ramsey looked on in disbelief as the red card was produced but there was no changing the referee’s mind and Villa suddenly had their backs against the wall.

Semenyo flashed a shot just wide of the post, before Martinez made a flying save to keep out Evanilson’s header.

Then, deep in stoppage time, Semenyo arrived to meet a cross at the far post, Martinez saved and Jebbison could not keep his header down from a yard out.

Key Moments

45+6 GOAL Ollie Watkins breaks the deadlock, steering home Morgan Rogers’ cross to become Villa’s all-time Premier League top scorer.

Teams

Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Kepa; Smith (Brooks 70), Zabarnyi (Araujo 88), Huijsen, Kerkez (Jebbison 88); Adams (Sensesi 76), Cook; Tavernier, Scott (Kluivert HT), Semenyo, Evanilson Subs not used: Dennis, Soler, Hill, Winterburn (gk).

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings (Torres 70), Digne, Onana, Kamara, Rogers (Maatsen 89), Asensio (McGinn 70), Ramsey, Watkins Subs not used: Disasi, Maatsen, Garcia, Barkley, Bailey, Malen, Olsen (gk).