Aston Villa player ratings vs Bournemouth: Three 9/10s but one 4 and one 5

Aston Villa completed a colossal turnaround to beat AFC Bournemouth 3-1 in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, earning three huge points to move six clear of Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League fight. Dominic Solanke gave the visitors the lead from the spot after a terrible defensive error from Matty Cash in the first half but goals from Morgan Rogers, Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey sealed an impressive comeback at Villa Park.

The Villans, welcomed off the team bus in style by thousands of eager supporters holding banners and flares, had to fight mightily hard for the three points after a knackering midweek. Immense credit must go to Unai Emery and his players as beating Bournemouth is no mean feat on any day, let alone less than 72 hours after going the distance in Lille.

It could’ve been far simpler of a task for Villa had Diaby tucked away a huge opportunity midway through the first half. The Frenchman was picked out brilliantly by a Bailey cut-back but fluffed his lines, scuffing his shot wide and failing to give his team the advantage after a scrappy start.

Bournemouth were gifted a penalty just before the half-hour mark and it was converted emphatically by Solanke for the opening goal. Cash, in a moment of madness, missed a tackle on Justin Kluivert and then clattered Milos Kerkez in the area for a stonewall spot-kick. Emiliano Martinez dived the right way but Solanke made no mistake, rocketing the ball into the top left.

There had been warning signs from the Cherries as Kluivert let fly in the 16th minute and forced Martinez into a sublime diving stop. Dango Ouattara also thrashed the side netting from a deep Lloyd Kelly delivery merely two or three phases of play before the goal. There were several panicky moments, too, at least for the fans, as Bournemouth pressed high to disrupt Villa’s passing around the back four.

Cash tried to make amends a few minutes later, striking hard and low from distance, but the shot fizzed narrowly wide of the left post. Villa also had a penalty appeal of their own in the 35th minute as Ilya Zabarnyi grounded Ollie Watkins but the defender lawfully shoulder-barged, at least in the minds of the officials.

Villa were back on level terms on the verge of the interval as Rogers finished clinically after a sublime outside-of-the-boot Bailey pass split the Bournemouth defence. Winter signing Rogers took the ball in his stride, ran 15 or 20 yards and chopped past Adam Smith before firing into the roof of the net for his second Premier League goal.

Emery’s men started the second 45 strongly as they zipped the ball around and Watkins tested Cherries ‘keeper Neto twice. The pressure was mounting and you could sense a goal was coming – and then it did. An incisive team move, started by Pau Torres, contributed to by Rogers and Watkins and then finished off by Diaby tore the Bournemouth back four to shreds. Every pass was inch-perfect.

Andoni Iraola’s side responded well to going 2-1 down and they would’ve been back level if it wasn’t for an outstanding save from midweek penalty-saving hero Martinez. Ouattara simply had to score as he headed toward goal from just a few yards out but Villa’s goalkeeper did brilliantly to hash the ball away at the near post.

Bailey desperately deserved another assist as he set Watkins through on goal with an incredible curled through pass over the top of the Bournemouth back line. Watkins did well to take the ball into his stride and beat Zabarnyi with a chop inside but the strike flew wide of the far post.

But Bailey won’t care about the lack of a second assist as he wrapped up the points for Villa with a goal, netting a tap-in to make it 3-1 in the 78th minute. Watkins did remarkably well to spin past Zabarnyi and round the goalkeeper before directing the ball to the far post, where Bailey was waiting to secure Villa’s third.

Bournemouth briefly thought they had a lifeline as Enes Unal fired home but there was an offside in the build-up. Martinez’s blushes were spared as the Argentine spilled Antoine Semenyo’s initial effort. There were then a few late shots on target for the visitors but Martinez was solid to keep the score at 3-1 and that’s how the clash concluded.

Here’s how Birmingham World reporter Charlie Haffenden rated the Villa players out of 10 after a sublime victory.