Analysis: Aston Villa's men for the big moment combine again to deliver another vital win

It’s a combination which for the past five years has helped Villa win too many matches and points to remember.

Their latest double act was delivered at Bournemouth on Saturday in a 1-0 victory which secured European football for a third season running for Unai Emery’s men, while also keeping hopes of a return to the Champions League very much alive.

It also perhaps served a timely reminder of the supreme talent of two players who remain integral components of this Villa team and who have long been destined to be remembered among the finest of their era.

Neither Watkins or Martinez can claim to have enjoyed their best seasons in a Villa shirt. Watkins once more on Saturday evening hinted at the difficulties he has experienced kicking on from his superb 2023-24 campaign, which ended with him playing England in the European Championship final. 

Martinez, meanwhile, has come under scrutiny during the past month for what have been several, at least by his standards, soft goals conceded. It has contributed to speculation about his future. Watkins, of course, was subject to a failed approach from Arsenal in January and while senior figures at Villa have made clear it is far too early to say what might happen with any player at the club this summer, there is likely to be noise around both when the transfer window opens next month.

Here then, at the Vitality Stadium, was the best example of why if Villa are to part with either in the coming months, it will be with huge reluctance. For all their respective struggles in recent times, Watkins and Martinez remain men built for the big moment. Just like this Villa team, you write them off at your peril.

Watkins converted the only chance which came his way all evening, deftly flicking Morgan Rogers’ cross beyond Kepa and inside the far post seconds before half-time, to become the club’s record scorer in the Premier League. It was his 17th goal of the season and only one of those has been scored when Villa were already leading a match.

Martinez, meanwhile, having not been forced into serious exertion for the first 80 minutes, came into his own after Villa were reduced to 10 men when Jacob Ramsey picked up a daft second booking and was sent-off. 

There was a flying save to keep out an Evanilson header before, with just seconds remaining, the keeper got the slightest touch on Antoine Semenyo’s finish to divert it away from goal.

Even prior to those late heroics, the Argentina international had negated the home side’s threat from long throws by coming out to claim every single one. At the final whistle, Martinez dropped to his knees and pointed both arms toward the sky in celebration at the win and his fourth clean sheet in his last seven Premier League matches. A Villa team which recorded only three shut-outs in the first 28 top-flight games of the campaign now has five in the last eight.

Martinez was far from the only defensive hero. Vital as his late deflection on Semenyo’s shot was, the ball would probably have been converted by Daniel Jebbison at the far post had it not been for the intervention of Matty Cash, who threw himself in the forward’s eyeline at the last moment and then watched from the back of the net as the header flew over the bar.

It capped a fine display from the right-back, another valuable member of Villa’s class of 2020, who also robbed Semenyo deep in the home side’s half in the build-up to the goal.

For record signing Amadou Onana, meanwhile, this almost felt like a breakthrough performance at the end of a Villa debut season which has featured flashes of brilliance but also large dollops of frustration.

While Onana might not have the flair and vision of the injured Youri Tielemans, his presence brings an added drive and energy to the midfield. A threat in attack through his willingness to run with the ball, he also mopped up most of the danger in front of the defence. His workrate was enough to almost convince you there were two of him on the pitch.

All told, it was a fine team performance which justified Emery’s upbeat mood in Friday’s pre-match press conference. The Villa manager had repeated the word “mentality” thrice in quick succession during that briefing and a second 1-0 win in succession was further evidence of just how much his team tend to thrive under pressure. 

While the decision to leave John McGinn on the bench might have raised eyebrows, Villa’s gameplan was perfect against a Bournemouth team built to hit on the counter, suddenly befuddled against opponents content to sit back. Ramsey’s red card was the only thing which put the result in doubt.

For more than two months now, Villa have known they could afford few slip-ups in the battle for a top-five finish. Saturday’s win was their eighth in the last 10 Premier League games. Nobody else in the race, or the division for that matter, is looking in better shape.

Friday’s visit of Tottenham will merely be the latest “must-win” affair in a season which now feels destined to go to the wire.