A frantic finish has subsided after the latest substiutions, and both sides have dropped the pace, knowing that the result is signed and sealed.
90' +2
K. Moore enters the game and replaces P. Billing.
Too late to make an impact on the outcome, Moore is introduced up front; Billing makes way.
90' +1
C. Chambers enters the game and replaces J. McGinn.
J. Durán enters the game and replaces E. Buendía.
M. Viña enters the game and replaces Dango Ouattara.
Just after scoring the hosts' third goal, Buendia is replaced by Duran.
Ouattara is replaced by Vina for the final few moments of the game.
With the win assured, Villa skipper McGinn is withdrawn; Chambers replaces him.
89'
E. Buendía has scored a goal for Aston Villa! Assist by T. Mings.
Luiz sends over a dangerous inswinging corner from the left, and Mings flicks it on for Buendia to turn home.
GAME OVER! Buendia seals three points for the home side, as he nods into the net following a Luiz corner flicked on by Mings! He was no more than a yard out, and that wraps up victory for Villa!
80'
J. Ramsey has scored a goal for Aston Villa! Assist by O. Watkins.
Seeing off pressure from his marker, Watkins cushions a header into the path of Ramsey on the left side of the area, setting up the midfielder's goal.
2-0 TO VILLA! That surely wins it for the home team! Watkins lays off a lovely cushioned header for Ramsey on the left edge of the area before the latter forces a hard, low shot below Neto from a tight angle! Villa are two goals up now, with only 10 minutes left to play!
79'
J. Stephens gets yellow.
D. Brooks enters the game and replaces A. Smith.
For a foul on Watkins inside his own half, Stephens is the latest player to be shown a yellow card.
Applause resounds all around the stadium, as Brooks comes on to make his first Premier League appearance since 2021. His remarkable return is complete, and it is Smith that will make way.
77'
Bournemouth now claim a penalty, as Solanke runs in behind Konsa and then tumbles to the deck under the slightest contact. The referee is uninterested, though, and the game goes on.
75'
Semenyo is enraged after Cash drops to the turf a little too easily in the pair's challenge out on Bournemouth's left flank, earning Villa a soft free-kick. Time is now running out for the visitors to equalise, and they have not offered much sustained threat so far.
73'
Caught in two minds, Bertrand Traore wastes a good chance on the counter-attack, as he prods the ball wide via a deflected cross-shot that Watkins can't reach. The substitute at least earns his side a corner.
Minute
Description
66'
M. Senesi gets yellow.
A desperate lunging tackle from the side by Senesi brings down McGinn and results in a booking for the Bournemouth centre-back.
65'
B. Traoré enters the game and replaces L. Bailey.
Villa now make their first change, as Bailey is withdrawn for another winger, Bertrand Traore.
61'
After Mings makes a block on Outtara's well-struck shot from 20 yards out, Ramsey concedes a free-kick in a dangerous position for the home side.
59'
H. Traorè enters the game and replaces J. Rothwell.
A. Semenyo enters the game and replaces J. Anthony.
Semenyo is the second substitute thrown on by Bournemouth, as Anthony makes way.
Gary O'Neil has seen enough from his team and opts for a couple of changes. First, Rothwell is replaced by Traore, who has just returned from injury.
58'
J. Lerma gets yellow.
Overstretching in his attempt to stop a Ramsey surge through midfield, Lerma makes a clear foul and is booked.
56'
Taking a hopeful shot at goal from the left side of the area, with the ball running away from him, Bailey sends the ball well wide of the left-hand post.
55'
After a short spell of Bournemouth pressure, Villa break through the centre with Buendia, but they are twice denied a route into the area by some dogged defending.
53'
Billing's outswinging corner from the left is initially headed away by Mings near the penalty spot, and when the ball makes it's way back to the Bournemouth midfielder, he overhits his next delivery.
49'
Ramsey receives the ball on the left-hand side of the area, then lays it back into the path of Moreno. The full-back's low shot is fired too close to Neto, though, and the Brazilian keeper makes a straightforward save.
48'
After winning a free-kick on the right flank, more than 30 yards from goal, McGinn delivers the ball to Bailey on the right, but the latter's cross into the box is headed away to safety by the Bournemouth defence.
46'
Bournemouth kick off, and we are back under way at Villa Park!
45' +3
HALF-TIME: ASTON VILLA 1-0 BOURNEMOUTH
45' +1
Into the first of two minutes indicated for stoppage time at Villa Park, Senesi is back on his feet and fit enough to resume duty in Bournemouth's back four.
45'
Senesi is down hurt after a 50-50 challenge with Watkins just outside the Bournemouth box, so the action is brought to a temporary halt.
43'
Under his own crossbar, Cash has to hack the ball away for a corner, following Outtara's inswinging cross from the right. It was a dangerous delivery, followed by some fine last-ditch defending!
39'
CLOSE! With one of his trademark inswingers expected, Luiz instead takes a short corner from the left, picking out McGinn. The Villa skipper then manages to work the ball to Ramsey near the penalty spot, but the latter side-foot finish is deflected just over the crossbar by Stephens!
37'
A rapid break opens up Villa down their right, and Lerma is left in space near the byline. However, his cross is then badly overhit and sails out of play past the far post - a waste.
36'
J. McGinn gets yellow.
As he struggles to retain the ball in midfield, an ugly challenge from McGinn on Senesi sees the Villa captain booked by the referee.
34'
A surging run by Moreno gets the left-back to the byline, but his low cutback on the stretch strikes Ramsey's shin before the young midfielder can adjust his footing and attempt to steer it in at the near post.
33'
The hosts are attempting to exert a little more control on proceedings after their early domination slipped. They are keeping the ball neatly and trying to draw Bournemouth out of position.
31'
Villa have a free-kick midway through Bournemouth's half after Luiz is barged over by Rothwell, but the set-piece chance comes to nothing when Kelly makes a headed clearance.
28'
SUPER STOP! Neto stands tall to deny Watkins' chipped shot from just inside the area, after Buendia plays the Villa striker through with another well-weighted throughball. The keeper's starting position is ideal, and he blocks the goalbound ball with his chest!
24'
Anthony gets the better of Cash on the left flank, as Bournemouth build again, and then a ball over the top picks out Solanke, whose cutback from the byline merely bobbles across a deserted six-yard box: he had no support.
22'
For the first time, Bournemouth enjoy a prolonged spell on the ball, but Villa have dropped deeper and are happy to soak up a little light pressure. The visitors' move ends with Billing flicking a header straight into Martinez's gloves from 20 yards out.
18'
Luiz buys a free-kick in midfield, much to the obvious disagreement of Solanke, who barely brushed his opponent. Villa play the resultant set-piece long into the box, but the attack ultimately breaks down.
16'
At the end of a swift Villa move, Senesi shuts the door firmly when Buendia slips the ball invitingly through for Watkins in the centre of the area. That was a crucial interception, just as the Villans' main marksman aimed to shoot.
14'
P. Billing gets yellow.
As McGinn tries to clear the ball away from the edge of his own area, Billing dives in with a late challenge, which is reckless but barely makes contact. The Bournemouth man becomes the first player to see yellow today.
12'
Bournemouth build again, and a cross swung over by Smith is planted wide of the target by the head of Billing, who rises highest in the area. This is better from the Cherries.
11'
McGinn and Konsa get their wires crossed deep inside the Villa area, and with a desperate lunge, Anthony narrowly fails to latch onto the ball and turn it goalwards before Martinez can react. A lucky escape for the home side!
7'
Douglas Luiz has scored a goal for Aston Villa! Assist by L. Bailey.
VILLA LEAD! Luiz initiates a counter-attack, and after Watkins then sees his shot blocked on the edge of the box, Bailey returns the ball into the danger area from the right. On hand to steer the ball home from five yards out, Luiz completes the move he started! The hosts have been on top throughout the early stages, and they already lead 1-0!
Recycling the ball after a counter-attack seemed to have broken down, Bailey skips past his man on the right side of the box and pulls it back for Luiz to finish from close range.
5'
Buendia and Watkins combine just outside the Bournemouth box, before Bailey fails to cleanly control the ball and the away side ultimately manage to scramble the ball to safety.
3'
Twice, Villa try to exploit some space down the left flank, but on both occasions their final ball lacks accuracy and the attacking opportunity is lost.
1'
Aston Villa kick off, and we are under way in Birmingham!
Hello and welcome to live coverage of today's Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Bournemouth at Villa Park!
Aston Villa took their seventh point from three matches last week, with a 1-1 draw against West Ham United that followed wins over Crystal Palace and Everton. As a result, Unai Emery's side sit 11th in the Premier League table and remain in the mix for a top-half finish: today, they can at least temporarily leapfrog 10th-placed Chelsea with a victory. While they have recorded just two wins from their last six top-flight games at Villa Park, the Villans have scored in every league fixture under Emery to date - a streak now standing at 13 games.
Last week's 1-0 defeat of Liverpool boosted Bournemouth's Premier League survival bid, but they remain inside the relegation zone due to an inferior goal difference compared with West Ham and Leicester City. Though they caused a stir by winning at home last time out, the Cherries have lost seven of their last eight away contests in the top flight. However, the South Coast side have won each of their last four league games versus Villa, scoring twice on each occasion.
ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Alex Moreno; Douglas Luiz, John McGinn; Leon Bailey, Emiliano Buendia, Jacob Ramsey; Ollie Watkins.
SUBS: Robin Olsen, Ashley Young, Viljami Sinisalo, Calum Chambers, Jhon Duran, Lucas Digne, Bertrand Traore, Diego Carlos.
BOURNEMOUTH (4-4-1-1): Neto; Adam Smith, Marcos Senesi, Jack Stephens, Lloyd Kelly; Dango Ouattara, Joe Rothwell, Jefferson Lerma, Jaidon Anthony; Philip Billing; Dominic Solanke.
SUBS: Mark Travers, Lewis Cook, David Brooks, Hamed Traore, Ryan Christie, Matias Vina, Kieffer Moore, Chris Mepham, Antoine Semenyo.
The players are out on the pitch at Villa Park, and kick-off is now just moments away!
After the international break, Villa resume against Chelsea - their close rivals in the table - at the start of April. Meanwhile, Bournemouth's survival battle will continue at home to Fulham.
That's all from Villa Park today, so thank you for joining us and goodbye!
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