Aston Villa 4 Bournemouth 0: Unai Emery's men run riot against Cherries

This was their sixth straight win at Villa Park in all competitions, four of those in the Premier League, lifting them back into the top half of the table.

In a campaign where many are struggling for consistency, Villa have found it, winning five of their last six top flight games.

This victory was their most impressive of the season to date, even taking into account those over Tottenham and Manchester City from a few weeks ago.

Bournemouth would have gone second at the final whistle with a victory but departed back to the south coast chastened by a Villa team who secured their biggest winning margin in the Premier League since thrashing Sheffield United 5-0 in February, 2024.

It was also their largest at home since thrashing Brighton 6-1 in 2023 and there were similarities to be found in the way they put aspiring rivals in their place. The Cherries arrived wanting to make a statement but left having been on the end of one.

To think one of the pre-match concerns had been Villa’s lack of goals. After just nine in the first 10 matches, Emery demanded "EXCITEMENT" from his team in his programme notes and they duly delivered.

Emi Buendia put them ahead with a brilliant free-kick, before Amadou Onana then thumped home from distance to double the lead.

At that point Villa’s last five league goals had all come from outside the box but they scored two in it after the break through substitutes Ross Barkley and Donyell Malen.

Prior to that came a major turning point when Emi Martinez saved Antoine Semenyo’s penalty.

The goalkeeper, the villain of the piece last weekend when his error led to Liverpool's opener in a 2-0 defeat at Anfield, had pulled off a brilliant stop to keep out a deflected Alex Scott shot just a few minutes before. 

After the penalty save, the Argentine's hero status had been restored - perhaps for the first time since the summer dalliance with Manchester United - with most of the ground singing his name. 

Emery’s team selection contained few surprises with Buendia replacing Evann Guessand in the only change to the team which had begun the previous weekend’s defeat at Liverpool.

Equally unsurprising was the absence, once more, of Harvey Elliott from the squad. The Liverpool loanee has not played for Villa in the Premier League since being hooked at half-time in September’s win over Fulham, his only start.

This was the second consecutive occasion he had been available for selection but failed to make the matchday 20. With Villa on this kind of form, chances may be at a premium.

It was the visitors who needed to make early use of their bench when an accidental clash of heads in the third minute between Tyler Adams and Adam Smith left the latter with a bloodied face and caused an extended stoppage.

When play resumed it was Villa who created big chances. A looping ball over the top from Boubacar Kamara had Matty Cash running in behind the visiting defence. The right-back looked up to see Djordje Petrovic off his line and briefly outside the box but the keeper was able to backtrack and block the attempted lob.

Petrovic was then called into action when he kept out a low effort from Kamara before the game became a tale of two free-kicks.

Marcus Tavernier rather wasted Bournemouth’s when he blazed over after Kamara had halted Alex Scott’s run no more than a foot outside the Villa box.

When Buendia was brought down by Alex Jimenez in a similar position at the other end no more than two minutes later, he did far better, executing brilliant technique to send his effort over the wall and dipping under the bar.

Deadlock broken, Villa produced their best attacking football of the season in the 12 minutes between the opener and Onana adding a second.

Petrovic palmed away a deflected Morgan Rogers effort, while only a vital intervention from Jimenez prevented Ollie Watkins from having a tap in after Pau Torres had headed across goal. Watkins then saw a shot redirected into the side-netting by a diving Veljko Milosavljevic.

Another goal felt only a matter of time and perhaps only the scorer was a surprise, Onana slamming a low effort inside Petrovic’s near post from 25 yards out.

Justin Kluivert fired just wide of the near post as the Cherries looked for a response before the break. Fortune almost helped them reduce the deficit after the break when Scott’s shot took a wicked deflection off Kamara’s boot and Martinez, back-peddling, brilliantly tipped over.

The Villa keeper had probably earned his luck when, after misjudging a corner, Evanilson headed against the post.

It was a set piece which then brought the penalty. Rogers was no more than a yard or so from Evanilson when the latter’s header hit his raised arm but once referee John Brooks had pointed to the spot, it was never likely to be overturned.

Step forward Martinez. Semenyo struck his effort low and to the keeper’s right but he was down to make the save, Konsa winning the race to the loose ball to turn it behind.

“The world’s No.1,” echoed loudly around Villa Park.

It was a moment which seemed to kill off Bournemouth and with 13 minutes to go, Barkley ended any lingering nerves, flicking home Lucas Digne’s corner. 

Villa Park was now in party mood and Malen got in on the celebrations, perhaps unwittingly, when Youri Tielemans’ low strike hit him and wrong-footed Petrovic. The Netherlands international should then have added a fifth when through on goal but skewed wide.

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Onana (Sancho 71), Kamara (Bogarde 81), McGinn (Tielemans 71), Rogers (Guessand 86), Buendia (Barkley 71), Watkins (Malen 81) Subs not used: Lindelof, Maatsen, Bizot (gk).

Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Petrovic, Smith (Sanchez 10 (Cook HT)), Milosavljevic, Senesi, Truffert (Adli 63), Adams, Scott (Christie 63), Tavernier, Kluivert (Kroupi 63), Semenyo, Evanilson Subs not used: Brooks, Gannon-Doak, Diakite, Dennis (gk).