Bournemouth lifted themselves out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 2-1 victory over fellow strugglers Aston Villa at the Vitality Stadium.

Two first-half goals in six minutes from Philip Billing and Nathan Ake proved enough to secure all three points - even though the Cherries found themselves down to 10 men in the early stages of the second half, midfielder Jefferson Lerma shown a second yellow card for a foul on Jack Grealish.

With a man advantage, Villa found a way back into the game courtesy of £8.5m signing Mbwana Samatta, who became the first Tanzanian to score in the Premier League with a debut goal on 70 minutes.

But Eddie Howe’s side managed to withstand Villa’s pressure and can celebrate back-to-back league wins for the first time since September.

Bournemouth are now up to 16th place in the table - the position Villa were in before kick-off - and out of the relegation zone on 26 points.

Bournemouth’s bright start

Three weeks ago, on a run of six winless league games, it did not look like Bournemouth had the strength for a relegation fight.

Victory over Brighton lifted the gloom and against Villa there was an intensity from the first whistle that suggests a returning appetite for the struggle.

Full-back Adam Smith hit the side-netting before being flagged offside while a long-range effort from Billing tested Villa keeper Pepe Reina.

Denmark midfielder Billing did find the back of the net after a wayward free-kick was kept in play by skipper Simon Francis, his cross being met by Dan Gosling, who nodded it down for Billing to sweep in a left-footed finish from eight yards out.

The Cherries doubled their lead deservedly six minutes later. Ryan Fraser’s low drive from a Harry Wilson set-piece was spilled by former Liverpool keeper Reina in the direction of Ake, who stretched a leg out to send a low finish into the bottom corner.

The one sour note for Howe and the home crowd was the sending off of Lerma on 51 minutes. The Colombia midfielder received both yellow cards - his 22nd and 23rd in 52 games for the club - for tussles with Villa’s star man Grealish and will miss the Cherries’
next game away to Sheffield United.

It clearly was not the immediate concern though as Howe and his team embraced in a huddle on the final whistle, the relief of a much-needed boost to their top-flight survival prospects felt around the whole ground.

One eye on Wembley for Villa?

Aston Villa have had a week to remember with their Carabao Cup semi-final success over high-flying Midlands rivals Leicester in midweek following a late 2-1 win over Watford in the league last weekend.

Manager Dean Smith said he would be “a very proud man” to lead his boyhood club out at Wembley against holders Manchester City - but could the prospect of a first trophy since their League Cup win in 1996 be a distraction in the relegation battle the club has found itself in?

Villa were 16th in the table before heading to the south coast and on a high after those twin successes but only a very late Brighton equaliser at West Ham prevented them finishing the day back in the drop zone.

Loan signing Reina was the busier of the goalkeepers and the 37-year-old’s steady hands kept Bournemouth from scoring sooner then they did.

Villa only registered one shot on target in the first half when Grealish, a constant threat and creative spark, saw his low drive from the angle brilliantly diverted away from goal by Adam Ramsdale’s sharp reflexes.

Smith’s attacking options have been limited by a knee injury to record signing Wesley, but the Villa boss can at least take solace in the fact his January transfer window recruitment has been immediate fruit.

Samatta, who scored 43 league goals in 98 appearances for Genk in Belgium’s top flight before switching to Villa Park, got Villa’s first headed goal in the league this season, the Tanzania international quick to react ahead of Bournemouth keeper Ramsdale.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith speaking to Match of the Day: “We didn’t start particularly well, they picked up too many second balls and ended up with territorial advantage in the first half.

“I wasn’t happy with the first half and how we played but the second half, after they had a man set off, was better, although we did not do enough with possession.

“They have had a man sent off and after that we have dominated possession but have not done enough to create clear-cut chances to get ourselves back and deserved to lose in the end.”

On Lerma’s sending-off: “The red card was soft, there were a few decisions out there that left a lot of people scratching their heads.”

On their reaction after winning through to the Carabao Cup final: “They weren’t thinking about the cup semi-final today, the focus was on Bournemouth. It is a tough place to come - a small stadium, fans can be on top of you and we didn’t work as hard as we should.”
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*The Guardian*
*Saturday, 1 February 2020*

Lerma sees red but Bournemouth beat Aston Villa thanks to Billing and Aké

Aston Villa’s players revelled in the adulation of a pitch invasion in midweek but sunk to the turf at the final whistle here as Bournemouth earned back-to-back league victories for the first time since September to leapfrog Villa and climb out of the relegation zone.

A goal from Mbwana Samatta on his full debut was insufficient for Villa, whose visions of Wembley are firmly on hold after Bournemouth, who were reduced to 10 men when Jefferson Lerma was sent off early in the second half, basked in a momentous victory.

Eddie Howe gathered his team in a huddle at full-time for an impromptu post-match debrief while the home supporters serenaded his players after a gutsy performance.

“We have shown we are still alive and kicking,” Howe said. “We have a long, long way to go before we can say we have done anything. Nothing is decided but we are in there fighting and showing we want to be in the Premier League.

“When we show the workrate, passion and belief we are a different team. That is the thing that has been missing probably in the games when we have dipped below where we want to be. It changes our performance totally. You see a team fighting and scrapping for everything and that is what we need to deliver again and again.”

This fixture provided Bournemouth’s first taste of life in the top flight almost five years ago and the outcome of this match was always likely to have significant implications as to whether this season may be their last for the time being. Reality bites for Villa too, with Dean Smith’s side, who return to action in a fortnight’s time against Tottenham, a point above the relegation zone after reaching the Carabao Cup final with victory over Leicester on Tuesday.

Even Lerma’s red card, awarded by the referee, Anthony Taylor, after the midfielder picked up two cautions for fouling the Aston Villa captain, Jack Grealish, could not dampen Bournemouth spirits as first-half goals by Philip Billing and Nathan Aké paved the way to victory.

Lerma will miss Bournemouth’s trip to Sheffield United next Sunday and will walk a tightrope thereafter, having picked up nine bookings for the season; no player has picked up more yellow cards in the Premier League since the start of last season (23 in 52 games).

The second here was soft, Grealish collapsing after little contact, but for all that the sending off rankled with Howe, that decision galvanised Bournemouth, who would have added a third had Ryan Fraser connected with Callum Wilson’s cross.

Villa’s deadline-day signing Borja Bastón did not complete his move in time to feature but the January recruit Samatta became the first Tanzanian to score in the Premier League, nodding in after Keinan Davis’s deflected shot looped up inside the box.

Smith was kicking his heels approaching half-time and, in truth, his side’s revival was too little too late. Other than Grealish, who twice went close after cutting inside Adam Smith, Villa lacked invention and struggled to assert themselves.

Villa felt they should have had a penalty after the Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale inadvertently punched the substitute Björn Engels and Smith argued there should have been substantially more than four minutes second-half stoppage-time after accusing the ballboys of time-wasting.

Ultimately, though, the Villa manager acknowledged the blame lay at his players’ door. After soaking up the highs of midweek, this was a difficult defeat to stomach.