Premier League: Europe is Still in the Cards for Bournemouth

Bournemouth vs Aston Villa

Bournemouth got lost in their European trail following an inconsistent run of results last month, but they’re still in contention for a spot in European football next season. After a 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town at the start of April, the Cherries are undefeated in their last five Premier League matches. Andoni Iraola’s side is eighth in the English top-flight standings with 53 points – seven points adrift of Aston Villa, whom they’ll face this Saturday at the Vitality Stadium.

Aston Villa are seventh in the table with 60 points, but beating Bournemouth could put them back in the Top 5 since they’re only three points adrift of fifth-seeded Chelsea. Unai Emery’s men have won six of their last seven league games, including last week’s 1-0 win against Fulham.

This battle is huge in the European race, and SBOTOP football fans can’t wait to see these two sides duke it out again.

 

Talking Points

Evanilson is crucial for Bournemouth

Bournemouth were in trouble when Evanilson received a straight red card for his crunching tackle on Noussair Mazraoui during the team’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United last week. The Cherries appealed to the FA to have it rescinded, and they were successful. The Brazilian striker was spared from serving a three-match suspension.

Evanilson completed Bournemouth’s 2-1 comeback win over Arsenal last time out. The Cherries trailed by one goal after Declan Rice’s first-half goal. Dean Huijsen scored the equaliser in the 64th minute, and Evanilson registered the matchwinner 11 minutes later.

Arsenal fans argued Evanilson’s goal should be waved off, but the VAR ruled out a possible handball. It’s a huge result for the Cherries since the win put them back in the European football mix while leapfrogging Brentford, Brighton, and Fulham.

Evanilson is Bournemouth’s second leading scorer with 10 league goals this season. Besides the Brazilian, Aston Villa will also have their hands full with Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo, who combine for 21 league goals and 11 assists. Semenyo has been directly involved in three goals in his last four Premier League games for Bournemouth (two goals, one assist). 

 

Tielemans pulling the strings for Aston Villa

Aston Villa are in fine form in the past few weeks, and they have Youri Tielemans to thank for that. The Belgian midfielder already has three league goals and seven assists this term. More importantly, Tielemans has been doing it all for the Villans while operating in the middle of the park.

Tielemans scored the matchwinner against Fulham last Saturday. He also did a solid job of blowing up the Cottagers’ advances to the final third, as Tielemans made five recoveries and wasn’t dribbled past once by any Fulham player. The 27-year-old also deserves praise for his availability, as he has started more games (52) than any other player in Europe’s Top 5 leagues this season.

Amadou Onana could link up with Tielemans against Bournemouth after coming off the bench against Fulham. Meanwhile, the rest of last weekend’s starting XI should remain intact.

 

History

​Bournemouth and Aston Villa shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Villa Park last October. Ross Barkley put the Villans up 1-0 in the 76th minute, but Evanilson scored the equaliser during stoppage time. 

The Cherries lost 1-0 at home to the Villans in their first-ever Premier League match in August 2015. Since then, Bournemouth are undefeated in three at home to Aston Villa, scoring exactly two goals in each (W2, D1). The Cherries plan to win consecutive league games for the first time since January.

Aston Villa are undefeated in their last four Premier League matches against Bournemouth (W2, D2). The Villans have now won seven of their last nine (L2) after notching only six wins in 21 Premier League matches between September and February (D9, L6).

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2025 odds predict another close fight between Bournemouth and Aston Villa. Being the hosts, Bournemouth have a slight edge at 2.34, whereas Aston Villa aren’t far behind at 2.61, and a draw is at 3.43 in the 1X2 market. The Villans are a deeper team than the one they had during their reverse fixture last October, and that should be enough to take the three points. 

Besides our recommended bet, bettors can expect goals and Premier League 2025 highlights from both teams, but not too many, making options like Total Goal 2-3 at 2.08, Under 3.25 at 1.68, Under 3.00 at 1.88, and Under 2.75 at 2.13 worth considering. Meanwhile, a Correct Score of 1-1 – the result of the reverse fixture – could give you a decent 6.80 payday.

   

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