There have been times in Bournemouth’s up and mostly down existence when the threat of extinction has stalked them at every turn and they have wondered whether the locks would be thrown over the gates of the Goldsands Stadium for good, so it was not difficult for them to keep this defeat to Aston Villa in perspective. When you have waited 126 years for your first taste of English football’s top division, you can afford to be patient in the search for your first point.
It was deflating rather than devastating for Eddie Howe’s side and their supporters applauded them off the pitch. In the end the difference between the sides was Villa’s greater cutting edge in the cut-throat world of the Premier League and what a source of pride that was for Tim Sherwood after the blow of losing Christian Benteke to Liverpool. Villa’s winner was scored by Benteke’s replacement, Rudy Gestede, in the 72nd minute and judging by the way the travelling fans serenaded the Benin striker at the end, signing him for £6m from Blackburn Rovers could turn out to be a masterstroke.
Gestede’s aerial ability will terrify defences and Sherwood’s satisfaction was immense given that he has also had to contend with the sale of his captain, Fabian Delph, to Manchester City.
Villa’s players took their cue from Sherwood’s touchline attire and rolled their sleeves up. The man who wore the armband was Micah Richards and the former Manchester City player was outstanding alongside Ciaran Clark in the centre of Villa’s defence.
Bournemouth were full of hope at the start of the day and the din when the teams emerged made it hard to believe that only 11,115 people were crammed inside this tiny ground. This date had been circled in red and black ink ever since Bournemouth sealed promotion in April and the pot was rattling and clattering so furiously that it came as a minor relief when Mark Clattenburg lifted the lid on some of that bubbling nervous energy with his opening whistle. The club who began the 2008-09 season on minus 17 points in League Two were determined to enjoy their day in the sun.
This was the first test of Bournemouth’s savviness at this level. Their greatest weakness over the course of the season could be their lack of experience; out of their starting 11, only Artur Boruc, Dan Gosling and Andrew Surman had played in the Premier League before. Joshua King was the only one of Bournemouth’s summer signings who started.
“First half we were outstanding,” Howe said. “I was very pleased with the display. We got hit with a sucker punch. We learnt today what the Premier League is all about.”
Villa’s initial plan was to douse Bournemouth’s fire with stifling tactics. There have been significant changes to the side that finished 17th last season and Sherwood gave starts to five of his new signings: Richards, Jordan Amavi, Jordan Veretout, Jordan Ayew and Idrissa Gueye. Amavi did well on the left of Villa’s defence, keeping the dangerous Matt Ritchie quiet. Villa’s secret weapon, Gestede, was biding his time on the bench.
However Villa’s quality was poor in the first half. Gabby Agbonlahor fed off scraps up front, Ayew saw little of the ball on the right and the game passed Gueye by in midfield.
Bournemouth dominated with the brisk, snappy football that has become their trademark under Howe, although they were restricted to hopeful efforts from long range at first.
Gaps appeared towards the end of the first half. Gosling scooped over from eight yards out. Callum Wilson broke and drilled a shot against Brad Guzan’s feet, before the Villa goalkeeper beat away a shot from Marc Pugh.
Villa had to come out of their shell after the break and Boruc had to save from Gueye. The visitors were on top for the first time and Howe reacted by replacing King, whose end product behind Wilson was disappointing on his debut, with one of Bournemouth’s heroes of last season, Yann Kermorgant.
Gestede, who scored 22 goals in the Championship last season, replaced Ayew and soon volleyed just wide in the 68th minute.
Four minutes later, Villa won a corner on the right. Ashley Westwood drove the ball into the Bournemouth area and Gestede exploded, bouncing into the air like a kangaroo wearing a jetpack and battering a header past Boruc. It would have taken a brave man to stop him. The Premier League is an unforgiving place.
