Everything had been going well for Aston Villa and it seemed that in the previous round, against a Brentford side reduced to ten men, they would secure another win, but the opposite happened (0:1). Bournemouth are in the same category of teams, for whom it is difficult to predict when they will strike.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth lost their main goal threat Antoine Semenyo, but instead started to pick up points more frequently. To their most recent win, secured by him, over Liverpool (3:2), they have added another seven points from a possible nine. On that weekend they also beat Wolverhampton Wanderers away (2:0) while missing eight players, including the team’s third-top scorer Marcus Tavernier (six goals). From 12th place in the standings, relegation has once again become only a distant prospect.
Aston Villa
There is a danger that the title for Aston Villa will also become only a remote possibility, and this is highly likely. The side would simply like to delay that moment, but they annoyingly missed a clear opportunity to take three points. They hosted Brentford, who had previously won only three of their 11 away matches. Towards the end of the first half one of the visitors’ forwards was sent off for blatant foul play, but the remaining players immediately put together an attack while they still had energy and opened the scoring. In the second half Unai Emery’s side enjoyed overwhelming dominance (20 shots to 2, 1.36:0.10 in xG, 86% possession), but it still came to nothing.
Bournemouth vs Aston Villa Prediction
Over the last four rounds Aston Villa have won only once, when they played excellently on the counter-attack against Newcastle United (2:0). Away from home the visitors are indeed one of the most dangerous opponents (21 points from 12 matches), but on Saturday they will be without two key midfielders, Youri Tielemans and John McGinn. This should help Bournemouth to take points.
