Aston Villa manager Unai Emery insisted that there is no issue between him and Jhon Duran after the striker reacted angrily to being substituted against Bologna on Tuesday. (More Football News)
John Duran was taken off almost immediately after scoring the second goal in their Champions League victory and was visibly angry, punching the back of a dugout seat
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery insisted that there is no issue between him and Jhon Duran after the striker reacted angrily to being substituted against Bologna on Tuesday. (More Football News)
The 21-year-old was taken off almost immediately after scoring the second goal in their Champions League victory and was visibly angry, punching the back of a dugout seat.
Duran's 64th minute strike saw him become the first Aston Villa player since Gary Shaw in 1982-83 to score in successive games for the club in the competition.
The Colombian has notched four goals from his eight Premier League appearances this season, despite not starting in the top-flight so far under Emery, though the Spaniard has been impressed with his displays.
"I have no problem with his reaction. Every message we send in the dressing room is about respect and having our values," Emery told The Independent.
“Some young players can react a little bit but it is under my control... Always it is more difficult to start when the opponents are fresh."
“He played very well and he scored a good goal. It was fantastic the way he accelerated," he said.
“We will play both strikers sometimes and when they play individually as well as today – with Ollie Watkins – it is best for the team."
That result maintained Villa's 100% start in Europe, while they are also currently fourth in the Premier League and four points off top.
But the Villa manager did not want to get carried away despite what he and his team have achieved thus far.
“We are going to focus on each match and how we are in the moment,” he added.
“There are other contenders, bigger favourites than us but we are improving and we will see how we continue.”
Bournemouth, meanwhile, arrived in the Midlands on the back of their most impressive win of the season to date.
Their 2-0 victory over Arsenal was their third of the campaign, and came at a time when they had lost three in their last four games in the Premier League.
Bournemouth's opening goal in that victory came from an ingenious set-piece routine, with Ryan Christie firing in a wonderful finish.
It is something that Villa will have to be wary of ahead of this Saturday's game, with manager Andoni Iraola confirming they had worked on it in the week.
"The advantage they have at set plays is they are taller than us so we had to find another way to make a difference," he told BBC Sport.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Aston Villa - Youri Tielemans
Tielemans has created 17 chances for Aston Villa so far this term, which is more than any of his team-mates.
He is currently creating an average of 2.1 chances per 90 minutes - his best ratio in the Premier League - while also supplying three assists.
Bournemouth - Antoine Semenyo
Semenyo has been Bournemouth's leading attacking threat this season, with three goals and one assist in the Premier League.
The Ghana international has had a league-high 37 shots, which is at least two more than any other player.
MATCH PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA WIN
Aston Villa have carried on their impressive form from last season into this. They have picked up 17 points in their eight Premier League games this season, which is just the third time they’ve had that many points at this stage.
And having lost their first two Premier League home games against Bournemouth in 2016 and 2019, the Villans have won the last two by an aggregate score of 6-1.
But Emery's men have also showcased their powers of recovery this term. Only Manchester City (13) have won more points from losing positions in the Premier League this season than Villa (10), who have won three games despite conceding first so far this campaign.
Bournemouth, however, have won 50% of their eight Premier League games against Aston Villa (W4 D1 L3) – of those they’ve faced as many times, against no side do they have a higher win rate in the competition.
But the Cherries have struggled away from the Vitality Stadium. They have lost six of their last nine away Premier League matches (W2 D1), losing their last two without scoring since their late 3-2 comeback victory against Everton at the end of August.
No team has scored more goals from the 70th minute onwards of games in the Premier League this season than Bournemouth (six). The average minute of their goals has been the 63rd minute, the latest average by a team in a single Premier League campaign.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Aston Villa - 48.8%
Draw - 23.9%
Bournemouth - 27.3%