Dorset! Dorset!! DORSET!!! Our man down there in Bournemouth, Ben Fisher, has filed his verdict. Here it is! Thanks for reading this MBM.
The extremely impressive Andoni Iraola talks to Sky. “Obviously we are in a worse position than we were a couple of hours before … but we want to keep fighting … we have to keep fighting, no? … there was not a lot happening in the first half, but the things that were happening were for them … they managed the game better overall … the second half we improved … found better positions … moments … good chances … but we couldn’t score it.”
He also reports that Alex Scott, who was hit by Tyrone Mings’ elbow early in the game, has been sent for x-rays. “The jaw … we do not know if it is broken or not broken … you could see straight away he was not well … it is a very dangerous challenge … on the other side, the second yellow to [Jacob] Ramsey for me was not a yellow … but obviously the value of a red card in the 80th minute and the value of a red card in the sixth minute is very different … but overall they competed better than us.”
As for the possible penalty for a Matty Cash handball? “For me it’s handball [under the current rules] but I don’t like [the referees] to call these handballs … it shouldn’t be a penalty … for me it’s good they didn’t call the handball of Cash.”
Taken in the round, that’s a very gracious interview. You’ve seen managers kick off over a lot less, but the mild-mannered Basque was charm and decency personified.
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Unai ‘Europe! Europe!! EUROPE!!!’ Emery speaks to Sky Sports, and takes the opportunity to give his new catchphrase another airing. “Good evening … 38 matches … we try to be consistent … try to feel strong for a long time … we competed very well … Bournemouth were fantastic as well … and Europe! Europe!! we are in EUROPE!!! … Conference, Europa League or Champions League … of course we want to try to get our best dreams … Champions League again … there are still matches to play and teams in front of us … but we can feel some positivity to get it … we have to play Tottenham at home and we must focus on this match only … we have to do our work … I am very happy … we play in Europe and I am so, so happy.”
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The match-winner – and new Villa Premier League goalscoring record holder – Ollie Watkins talks to Sky. “We had to be really patient … Bournemouth are a great team here at home … they don’t give you much space … a lot of pressure … we had a lot of running to do … I just had to wait for my moment … Morgan’s put it on a plate really … I just had to get a little touch … nice to see it go in the back of the net … the win is massive for us … a lot of teams are pushing for Champions League … it’s going to come down to the wire … getting that goal to break the club record is something I’ve had my eye on … I’ve just kept plugging away … I’m finally starting to find a little bit of rhythm at the end of the season … keep working hard … it’s a massive win … down to ten men … we’ll all be watching [Newcastle and Chelsea] tomorrow to see what the result is … but we need to focus on ourselves … win the last two games … it’s in our hands to do that.”
“Europe! Europe!! EUROPE!!!” That’s a huge result for Aston Villa, and they celebrate accordingly. They weren’t at their best, but they ground this one out, thanks to some staunch defending and an exquisite, opportunistic finish from Ollie Watkins. They’re still not in the Champions League spots, but they’ve placed themselves in the middle of a very tight battle for the four remaining places. This is going down to the wire. As for Bournemouth, their dreams of an eighth-place finish and possible Conference League qualification aren’t yet over, but today’s results haven’t been kind.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 35 | 46 | 82 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 35 | 33 | 67 |
| 3 | Man City | 36 | 24 | 65 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 35 | 21 | 63 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 35 | 21 | 63 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 36 | 7 | 63 |
| 7 | Nottm Forest | 35 | 12 | 61 |
| 8 | Brentford | 36 | 10 | 55 |
| 9 | Brighton | 36 | 3 | 55 |
| 10 | AFC Bournemouth | 36 | 12 | 53 |
| 11 | Fulham | 36 | 1 | 51 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 35 | -4 | 46 |
| 13 | Everton | 36 | -5 | 42 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton | 36 | -13 | 41 |
| 15 | Man Utd | 35 | -9 | 39 |
| 16 | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | 6 | 38 |
| 17 | West Ham | 35 | -19 | 37 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 36 | -42 | 22 |
| 19 | Leicester | 35 | -47 | 21 |
| 20 | Southampton | 36 | -57 | 12 |
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FULL TIME: Bournemouth 0-1 Aston Villa
Villa chalk up their seventh win in eight Premier League games, and their Champions League dream is very much alive! Europe might be a step too far for Bournemouth, however.
90 min +4: … and Bournemouth nearly do it again! A Tavernier cross comes in long from the left. Semenyo meets it at the far stick, heading back across goal. Martinez gets a fingertip to it. Nevertheless, Jebbison prepares to head home from a couple of yards, but the presence of Cash spooks him into heading over the bar! As close as Bournemouth have come all evening!
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90 min +3: Ten-man Villa can be forgiven for going into this period of additional time with trepidation, because they’ve conceded eight goals this season during minutes tacked on at the end, the second-worst record in the Premier League. Bournemouth by contrast have scored eight during additional time, the best record in the division.
90 min +2: Konsa is booked for kicking the ball away.
90 min +1: Semenyo wins a corner down the right. From that, Senesi heads harmlessly over.
90 min: There will be five additional minutes.
89 min: Villa respond with a defensively-minded change, sending on Maatsen for Rogers.
88 min: A double change for the Cherries, who replace Zabarnyi and Kerkez with Araujo and Jebbison.
87 min: Bournemouth are pressing Villa back, but Martinez is claiming everything they put into the box.
85 min: The ball having gone out for a corner, everyone starts grappling. The referee has to spend a significant amount of time telling everyone to stop acting up. Eventually the corner is taken, and Semenyo hoicks a cross from the left out for a goal kick. This set-piece nonsense is killing football.
83 min: From the resulting corner, Kerkez pings a shot that clips off Cash’s arm. Bournemouth scream for a penalty, but there’s no way that’ll be given – the defender was facing the other way, his arms tucked behind his back – and Huijsen goes into the book for telling it the way he sees it.
82 min: Bournemouth tails are up now, as a cross from the right finds Evanilson, who flashes a header towards the top right. Martinez tips around the post.
81 min: Semenyo makes space to shoot down the inside-right channel and whips a low drive through the box and inches wide of the left-hand post.
RED CARD: Ramsey (Aston Villa)
80 min: Digne throws long from the left. Huijsen heads clear. Brooks races off down the right. Ramsey clips his heel. He’s already on a yellow, and so his dismissal is inevitable. He displays admirable chutzpah by looking stunned, but the referee had no option but to show a second yellow.
79 min: … and there’s another laughably bad set-piece delivery. Goal kick.
78 min: Ramsey powers his way down the inside-left channel and is hauled back by Zabarnyi. A no-brainer booking, and a free kick 30 yards out, just to the left of centre. McGinn prepares to curl it into the mixer.
76 min: Another dismal Bournemouth corner. This is getting old.
75 min: Kluivert slips a ball down the left channel for Kerkez, whose persistence wins Bournemouth another corner down the left. Before it can be taken, Sensei comes on for Adams.
74 min: Both teams are currently putting in a shift – this match is still being played at 101 mph – but there’s not a lot of quality at the minute. Not too many progressive passes finding their target.
72 min: Kluivert drives in from the left before playing a cute reverse pass down the inside-left channel. Too strong for Tavernier, and Martinez claims. Bournemouth still haven’t got an effort on target all evening.
70 min: Asensio is wisely hooked. He makes way for McGinn, while Torres replaces Mings. Meanwhile Bournemouth send on Brooks at the cost of their 400-up man Smith.
68 min: Asensio clips Evanilson, who had just spun him elegantly. Just a free kick. But having already been booked, Asensio is surely on thin ice now.
67 min: … Cook goes long, to no avail. Bournemouth’s corners have been appalling this evening.
66 min: Tavernier threads a delightful pass up the left touchline to release Kluivert into space, and keeps going, getting the ball back and forcing a corner. From which …
64 min: Now Digne tries the same down the other end. That long throw’s easily dealt with too. Tony Pulis and Rory Delap very much back in vogue, it would seem.
63 min: Semenyo sends a long throw into the Villa box from the left. Martinez comes way off his line to pluck it from the sky. Martinez showing his old club Arsenal how to deal with Semenyo, there.
61 min: A Villa free kick out on the left. Asensio sends it long to Cash on the opposite flank, who can’t guide a header into the mixer. There goes that attack. This has become scrappy again.
59 min: … but Kerkez keeps going, his industry winning another corner down the left. Cook, having sent the last two to the near post, goes a bit longer, but Martinez reads the intention and claims with confidence from the middle of a crowded six-yard box.
58 min: Kluivert goes through the gears down the inside-left, in the hope of getting his team moving. But then he clanks a simple pass intended for Kerkez straight into touch. More frustration manifests itself.
56 min: … nothing occurs, as Martinez claims. A few Bournemouth faces are already betraying a little frustration.
55 min: Semenyo and Kerkez exchange passes down the left to win a corner. Cook’s delivery fails to beat the first man, but nevertheless is enough to win a second corner, from which …
53 min: Kerkez takes out Rogers, but only as a result of slipping on the turf. Unlike Evanilson against Manchester United, there’s no rum decision to follow.
51 min: Evanilson harasses Mings and Konsa, but the Villa defensive duo keep their cool and eventually draw a foul. Then Cook comes sliding in on Onana, the Villa midfielder feeling the challenge, but the referee’s not interested in punishing the Bournemouth man.
49 min: It’s fair to say this match took a while to get going. But since the announcement of added time at the end of the first half, this has been great fun. Everyone suddenly remembering what’s at stake.
47 min: .. and then up the other end, Semenyo makes good down the left, reaches the byline and cuts back for Kluivert, who twinkletoes his way around the box and looks for space down the inside-left channel. He can’t find the time to shoot, so elects to look for a penalty by leaving his leg near the outstratched arm of Martinez. He goes over, but there’s no contact. He’s slightly fortunate not to get booked for diving.
46 min: Villa nearly double their lead within 30 seconds of the restart. Digne romps down the left and cuts back for Ramsey, who can’t work space to shoot. But he lays off to Kamara, who from the edge of the D sends a fierce whistler inches wide of the right-hand post. Not sure Kepa had that covered.
Aston Villa get the second half underway. Bournemouth have made a change, sending on Kluivert for Scott, who copped that wild Mings elbow to the jaw, and was also on a booking.
Half-time entertainment. Now then, regarding that battle for a place in next year’s Champions League, into which Villa have, as it stands, firmly inserted themselves (they’ll be sixth on 63 points, level with Newcastle and Chelsea, if it finishes like this) …
That goal puts Ollie Watkins on top of Aston Villa’s all-time Premier League goalscoring chart. It’s his 75th goal in the competition, beating Gabriel Agbonlahor’s long-standing mark of 74. Dwight Yorke is next up with 60, Dion Dublin with 48. But it’s still a long way short of their all-time league list: that’s got Harry Hampton in front with 215, Billy Walker next with 214 and John Devey third with 169. For the record, the recently departed Peter McParland finished his Villa league career in eighth place on that list with 97. But then his legend is more built on the cup, anyway.
HALF TIME: Bournemouth 0-1 Aston Villa
Forty-five minutes of pretty much nothing, before things escalated entertainingly during added time. That adds insult to injury for poor Alex Scott, because all that extra time was only added on for the treatment he required as a result of Tyrone Mings knocking him on the jaw with his elbow. Safe to say there’s now a little bit of an edge to this match.
GOAL! Bournemouth 0-1 Aston Villa (Watkins 45+6)
The resulting free kick is half cleared down the Villa right. Rogers sends it back into the mixer. Watkins extends a leg and feathers a clever touch across Kepa and into the bottom left!
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45 min +5: … as does Ramsey for his part in the stramash. It was a cynical Bournemouth foul, but it’s Villa who come out of it with two bookings to one!
45 min +4: Smith cynically trips an in-flight Ramsey. Straight into the book. Ramsey isn’t happy, and squares up to Smith. Chests out, a bit of shoving and shouting. Martinez races halfway up the field to have his say, because well, this sort of thing is good fun, isn’t it, and he goes into the book as well.
45 min +2: Digne crosses long from the left. Kamara, unmarked in acres, running down the inside-right channel, meets the cross with a downward header, six yards out. It’s straight at Kepa, who nevertheless kicks away adroitly. He probably shouldn’t have been given the chance of making the save, though; there was plenty of space at the bottom-right corner.
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45 min +1: It was the correct decision not to award a penalty. Rogers didn’t move his arm, it wasn’t in an unnatural position, and the players were right on top of each other.
45 min: That’s sparked Bournemouth into life. Semenyo dribbles down the left but runs out of road. Rogers brings the ball away, only for it to clank off Kerkez and back onto the top of his left arm. The fans want a penalty; the players don’t make so much of a fuss. Bournemouth aren’t getting one, either way. There will be six added minutes.
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43 min: Out of nowhere, something happens! The ball falls to Asensio on the edge of the Bournemouth D. He doesn’t catch his shot particularly well, but scuffs a weak drive past Kepa, towards the bottom right … and off the base of the post and away.
41 min: Asensio falls on the ball and handles. He’s already been booked, but the referee waves play on. No deliberate movement. Then Kamara snaps at Evanilson’s ankle, missing his attempted connection with the ball. No card-shaped censure here, either. Now it’s the Bournemouth fans’ turn to be unhappy with officialdom.
39 min: Kerkez, who has regularly sent in delicious crosses from his left flank all season, hoicks one straight into the stand behind Martinez’s goal. That kind of sums up this strangely undercooked first half.
38 min: Another set piece, another waste of time.
37 min: … and Ramsey momentarily threatens to tear clear down the left, only for Semenyo to bring him down before he can hit his stride. A free kick, but no booking, perhaps because Semenyo got a bit of the ball before ploughing through his man. That seems a generous interpretation, the Bournemouth player getting away with one, and the Villa fans break into the You’re Not Fit ditty.
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36 min: Scott crosses from the left, Evanilson’s presence forcing Digne to concede a corner on the other side. And yet again, the set piece is a waste of time. Villa counter …
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34 min: Martinez tries to release Watkins down the left with a long punt upfield. Zabarnyi is on point to usher the ball out for a throw. This game is in danger of turning into a bit of a non-event, which is slightly strange given the European ambitions of both clubs, for whom a draw isn’t really good enough.
32 min: Bournemouth are now well on top in terms of possession, passing and probing hither and yon. Villa happy enough to sit back and let them stroke it about, because at the moment there’s no way through.
30 min: Slightly better from Bournemouth, with Huijsen sending a diagonal pass into the Villa box from the left, and nearly finding the toe of Tavernier, racing in from the right. Not quite. Goal kick.
29 min: Zabarnyi creams a long pass down the inside right for Evanilson, whose presence forces Mings into the concession of a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece, though. This is all a bit frantic, with neither team bringing their best stuff.
28 min: Asensio sends the resulting free kick into a crowded box. Scott makes good his earlier misdemeanour by clearing. Evanilson attempts to counter but is tripped by Asensio, who becomes the second player to go into the book in as many minutes.
27 min: Scott goes into the book here, though, cynically tugging back Onana, who had just done him with a drop of the shoulder and a burst down the left. He can’t have any complaints about that.
26 min: Digne whacks the ball straight into the face of Onana from close range. Ouch. Then Scott high-kicks him in the chest, though without too much force. A bit clumsy, mind. He’s fortunate not to go into the book. An awful lot of physical misfortune so far.
24 min: Semenyo turns on the jets and tries to burn his way into space down the left. But Cash and Rogers double up on him and usher the ball out for a goal kick. Neither keeper has had any serious work to do yet.
22 min: Scott is moving around OK, probing here and there, scanning the action eagerly, so at least concussion doesn’t appear to be a problem. He’s certainly got a sore jaw, this much we know.
20 min: … and he’s soon in the thick of the action again, swiping a cross in from the right to find Evanilson, who flicks a harmless header straight at Martinez.
18 min: Scott comes back on.
17 min: Scott is holding the side of his jaw, fingering it gingerly, where he was whacked by Mings. He walks off the field of play … but for now looks like he’s going to continue.
16 min: Scott is down again, having copped another one in the face, this time from Onana, who was in the process of spinning away from him into space. This one’s much more innocent, but it doesn’t look good for the Bournemouth man, who appears out of sorts and in distress.
14 min: Onana barges his way down the middle of the park and looks for Watkins on the edge of the box. The ball breaks to Ramsey, who tries to dig out a curler towards the top right but gets it all wrong. Goal kick.
13 min: Those early stoppages have scuppered the flow. Onwards and upwards.
11 min: Bournemouth are in the wars. A long throw into their box. Semenyo is caught late by Asensio, and requires a quick look. As does Kepa, who has hurt a finger while attempting to flap the throw clear of the danger zone.
9 min: Mings was swinging his arm there, and caught Scott on the side of the head with his elbow. VAR has had a look, and cleared Mings of any ill intent. Another day, another referee, and that decision might not have gone in the Villa defender’s favour. Andoni Iraola, mimicking the challenge with pointy elbows of his own, clearly doesn’t agree with the officials. Thankfully Scott is good to continue.
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7 min: It’s sunny on the south coast and there’s a slight end-of-season party atmosphere in the stands. No quarter given on the pitch, though, as Scott barges into the back of Mings and comes off worse. He stays down. On comes the physio.
5 min: Villa show in the Bournemouth final third for the first time, but Ramsey can’t find enough space down the inside-left channel to take a shot.
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3 min: Semenyo takes another vicious swipe at the ball. This time it’s an overhit cross upon finding himself in space down the left. Goal kick.
2 min: It was a strange kick-off routine, Cook rolling the ball back to Semenyo, who juggled it in the air before hoofing a Garryowen into the Villa box. Martinez claimed the high bouncing bomb without any drama.
Bournemouth get the ball rolling. Their captain Adam Smith making his 400th appearance for the club today.
The teams are out! Bournemouth in their Milanese red and black stripes, Villa in second-choice white shirts. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes. “I can’t help but wonder how much of a boost Thursday’s Europa League semi-final results will prove to be for Aston Villa’s Champions League aspirations,” begins Eric Peterson. “After today, Villa is at home Friday against Tottenham, who are likely to viciously rotate their line-up in anticipation of their Europa League final against Manchester United. Then, on the last Sunday, it’s a trip to Old Trafford against a home team likely catatonic from either relief or despair at how things went in Bilbao four days earlier.”
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Andoni Iraola talks to Sky, and begins with the latest on the injured Dango Ouattara. “He felt a small injury in the adductor … it is not too big but we are talking a couple of weeks from the end of the season so it it going to be difficult for him to play again … let’s hope the ones starting today have good performances … he was in a great moment … playing very well … gives us a lot of energy … but it happens to all the teams … if you were to ask Unai about Tielemans he will say the same … so we have to adapt … it is about using the players we have available … I am confident and I trust the players … it is always difficult when you face Aston Villa … always well organised … they will put you in trouble … physical … but we are also in a good moment … we are two teams finishing the season strongly.”
A charmingly expressive Unai Emery speaks to Sky Sports. “Good afternoon … [raises voice disconcertingly] Europe! Europe!! EUROPE!!! … [back to normal levels] it is very important to be in Europe … Champions League is not in our hands … but if we win today maybe we can have more chances to be there … we are going to fight for everything … we have enough players ready to play … OK, there is no Rashford, but it is time for Watkins! … there is no Tielemans but there is time for Barkley! … for Onana! … for Kamara! … we have enough players to suit and to play with our identity.”
Meme potential of that “Europe!” triple yell: 9.5/10.
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The 3pms have all finished, and it’s not the best news for Bournemouth. Big wins for Brentford (1-0 at Ipswich) and Brighton (2-0 at Wolves) mean the Cherries have been nudged down to tenth spot. It could have been worse, had Fulham not lost 3-1 at home to Everton. Bournemouth can reclaim eighth place by winning this evening.
The one other result this afternoon brings hope for Aston Villa, though. If we accept Arsenal are pretty much good for a Champions League spot, the remaining battle is between five teams for three remaining places … and Manchester City’s surprise failure to beat Southampton – it ended goalless at St Mary’s – raises the possibility of this particular race concertinaing up excitingly ahead of the final two matches. Villa will insert themselves snugly if they claim all three points tonight.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 35 | 46 | 82 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 35 | 33 | 67 |
| 3 | Man City | 36 | 24 | 65 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 35 | 21 | 63 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 35 | 21 | 63 |
| 6 | Nottm Forest | 35 | 12 | 61 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 35 | 6 | 60 |
| 8 | Brentford | 36 | 10 | 55 |
| 9 | Brighton | 36 | 3 | 55 |
| 10 | AFC Bournemouth | 35 | 13 | 53 |
| 11 | Fulham | 36 | 1 | 51 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 35 | -4 | 46 |
| 13 | Everton | 36 | -5 | 42 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton | 36 | -13 | 41 |
| 15 | Man Utd | 35 | -9 | 39 |
| 16 | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | 6 | 38 |
| 17 | West Ham | 35 | -19 | 37 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 36 | -42 | 22 |
| 19 | Leicester | 35 | -47 | 21 |
| 20 | Southampton | 36 | -57 | 12 |
Bournemouth make three changes to the team that started the 2-1 win at Arsenal this time last weekend. Antoine Semenyo, Alex Scott and captain Adam Smith return to the starting line-up; Julián Araujo and Justin Kluivert drop to the bench, while Dango Ouattara is injured.
Aston Villa make four changes after their 1-0 victory over Fulham last Saturday. Tyrone Mings, Jacob Ramsey, Lucas Digne and Amadou Onana are back; Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen and captain John McGinn drop to the bench, while last weekend’s goalscoring hero Youri Tielemans is out for the season.
The teams
Bournemouth: Arrizabalaga, Smith, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez, Adams, Cook, Semenyo, Scott, Tavernier, Evanilson.
Subs: Dennis, Senesi, Brooks, Kluivert, Soler, Jebbison, Araujo, Hill, Winterburn.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne, Kamara, Onana, Rogers, Asensio, Ramsey, Watkins.
Subs: Olsen, Disasi, Barkley, McGinn, Torres, Garcia, Malen, Maatsen, Bailey.
Referee: Stuart Attwell.
VAR: Chris Kavanagh.
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Preamble
This week we’ve seen the joy† that European competition can bring. So you can bet your bottom dollar that both of these clubs will fancy a slice of that sweet Uefa pie next season. As things stood at the start of the day – and we’ll re-evaluate when the 3pms have finished – Aston Villa are good for the Conference League, while eighth-placed Bournemouth are out of the qualification spots. But Villa are still within striking distance of a place in the Champions League next season, while eighth could be good enough for the Cherries providing Manchester City win the FA Cup and Newcastle remain in the top six. So it’s all to play for this evening at Dean Court. Kick-off is at 5.30pm BST. It’s on!
† Well, that and the gut-wrenching misery, but Arsenal have had it rough of late so let’s leave them to lick their wounds in peace.
