You know you’re at the big table when absolutely everything is important and that is why after another big week, it’s fair to say that the match today against Bournemouth is just as important. Maybe even more important.
It’s finishing top four that gets you to the big table. It’s about consistently showing that you deserve to be there. It’s like walking into a restaurant and they have a table for you, even when there are people waiting for one.
And this is new to all of us. It’s not something any of us have experienced before, we’ve just seen it before. And I quite like the food and I quite like that all of this is new. And when things are new, they’re interesting and it’s when things are interesting that interesting things happen.
More on what I mean here maybe later in this post, maybe in another.
But I can’t write this post without a comment or two about Tuesday and it really doesn’t get more special than this. And yes, beating Bayern was arguably a bigger result, but it’s that we keep doing it and it seems to be getting better. It will be better if we win the next one too.
It was interesting also to see Duran start over Watkins. Will be interesting to see if it continues today also.
And on to today and it’s big because Liverpool and Arsenal are playing tomorrow. We could find ourselves moving up a place today and I suspect if we can move up a place today, we might end the week there too. And that’s why today is as big as it gets.
I know I’ve written this many times, but what a time to be an Aston Villa fan. I’ll be back a little later. Think it’s time for a bacon sandwich.
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
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Aston Villa earned four points from last season’s two Premier League meetings: a 2-2 draw at Vitality Stadium in December 2023 and 3-1 home victory in April this year.
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Bournemouth’s two wins in their seven away games against Villa in all competitions were both by 2-1 in the Premier League, in April 2016 and August 2019 (D1, L4).
Aston Villa
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Villa have earned as many as 17 points after eight Premier League matches of a season for only the third time – and first since 1998-99, when they accrued 20 points at the same stage.
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They are unbeaten in six league games, winning four of them. Their longest unbeaten run in the division last season was seven, from November to December.
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Aston Villa have won 10 of their last 11 points in the division having come from behind.
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Unai Emery’s side are vying to keep successive Premier League home clean sheets for the first time since last December.
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Villa have only registered six victories in 15 home league fixtures since winning the previous 15 in a row to set a club record last year.
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Emery is unbeaten in his six Premier League matches as a manager against Bournemouth, winning all four at home.
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Ollie Watkins has five goals in his last five Premier League appearances and has had five goal involvements in four outings versus Bournemouth, scoring once and providing four assists.
Bournemouth
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Bournemouth have lost six of their past nine away league matches, including the last two without scoring.
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Nonetheless, last week’s home victory over Arsenal put them on 11 points after eight games, in contrast to three points – and no wins – from their opening nine fixtures last season.
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The Cherries have scored an unsurpassed six goals from the 70th minute onwards in the Premier League this season.
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They and Villa have benefitted from a league-high six goals or assists by substitutes this season.
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Andoni Iraola is winless in all four league matches as a manager against Unai Emery, losing three times and conceding 12 goals.
