Aston Villa conceded a last-gasp equaliser as we were held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth on Saturday in a bitterly disappointing ending to the game.
In a scrappy, high-intensity clash, Villa eventually found a breakthrough in the second half as Ross Barkley broke the deadlock with our substitutes combining to finally add a clinical end product to our play.
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Villa became flustered in the latter stages though as we tried to see the game out, and after giving away a string of free-kicks, we were eventually punished with just 10 seconds remaining as Bournemouth bagged their equaliser through an unmarked Evanilson, who headed past Emiliano Martinez.
It was a poor goal to concede and it’s a harsh lesson for Villa in what was a tight game, and while there is obviously immediate disappointment, it’s hoped that it’s an experience that we learn from and avoid a repeat of in the future.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Bournemouth:
Emiliano Martinez, 7 – Produced some key saves throughout the game and was commanding in his area. Distribution was spot on for the most part, but he’ll be hugely frustrated to concede so late which cost us.
Matty Cash, 7 – Had his hands full down that side as Bournemouth attacked out wide consistently, but carried out his defensive duties diligently and put in an important shift.
Ezri Konsa, 7.5 – Made some crucial interventions to show why he’s so important for us when playing at centre-half. Solid shift at the back, and almost scored a long-range effort that would have capped off his display.
Pau Torres, 7 – Similarly to Konsa, he also tested the Bournemouth goalkeeper with a fine strike from distance, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Stood up to the challenge posed by the visitors from a physical standpoint and defended well throughout.
Lucas Digne, 6 – A steady presence down the left flank in both phases, but a relatively quiet afternoon as he couldn’t make a telling contribution when breaking forward. Played his part in keeping things tight at the back before coming off.
Amadou Onana, 6 – Not at his best in this one and was certainly hindered after picking up an early yellow card. He’s been replaced at half-time a few times already this season, and so it’s an area in which he must improve to ensure he can be influential across an entire game.
Youri Tielemans, 7.5 – Once again a key cog in how we played as he orchestrates so effectively in midfield. Sets the tempo and rhythm to our play, and continues to show tenacity and energy to offer something defensively too.
John McGinn, 7 – Good shift from the Villa skipper, but he’ll be so disappointed his excellent strike didn’t break the deadlock in the first half after VAR ruled it out. Made an important impact in both phases as he so often does.
Morgan Rogers, 6 – An off day for the talented youngster, as he spurned a big early chance and got caught in possession on a number of occasions in the first half. Couldn’t break loose and offer a devastating impact with his bursts forward and in turn we wasted some good openings.
Jacob Ramsey, 7.5 – Caused Bournemouth a lot of problems, particularly in the first half, as his movement and ability to drive forward on the left flank exposed vulnerabilities in their defensive shape. Unfortunately, there was no clinical edge to the end of his work.
Ollie Watkins, 7 – Worked tirelessly for the team with his movement and pressing from the front. Had two decent chances but couldn’t convert as we were left frustrated for the most part having not been more ruthless in front of goal.
Substitutes:
Ross Barkley, 7.5 – Found the all-important breakthrough for us as he got forward into a dangerous position and applied a finish. He’ll be disappointed though as it was his foul that Bournemouth subsequently scored from to leave us with just a point.
Jhon Duran, 6 – Added a new dynamic and threat to our attack and Bournemouth struggled to cope with him, but he missed a big chance that proved to be costly as we didn’t kill the game off.
Leon Bailey, 6.5 – Crucial impact off the bench as it was his touch that laid the ball off for Barkley to score our goal. Hopefully a moment that he can build on in his search to rediscover his best form.
Ian Maatsen, 7 – Provided freshness and renewed energy down the left flank after coming on, and it was his cross that eventually led to our goal. Will be hoping he’s making a big impression to get a more prominent role moving forward.
Boubacar Kamara, N/A