Watkins Makes History as Aston Villa Edge Past Bournemouth

Aston Villa continued their impressive Premier League form with a narrow 1-0 victory over Bournemouth, propelling them to sixth place in the league standings. The Villans have now won seven of their last eight matches (L1), amassing more points since March than any other club (21).

The decisive moment came courtesy of Ollie Watkins, who etched his name in club history by netting his 75th Premier League goal, surpassing Gabriel Agbonlahor (74) to become Aston Villa's all-time leading scorer in the competition. Watkins' first-half strike, coming just after Marco Asensio rattled the post, was enough to seal the win, despite Villa being reduced to 10 men late in the game.

Jacob Ramsey's red card for a second bookable offense with ten minutes remaining sparked a late surge from Bournemouth, who piled on the pressure in search of an equalizer. Both Semenyo and Jebbison had golden opportunities to snatch a point for the Cherries, but their efforts went begging. Villa managed the game well, finishing with an xG of 0.99 compared to Bournemouth's 0.78, reflecting their ability to create the better chances despite limited possession.

The two meetings between Aston Villa and Bournemouth this season have been fiercely contested, with a record 21 cards shown across both fixtures (20 yellows and 1 red), marking the most in a single Premier League campaign for any matchup.

Up next, Aston Villa face Europa League finalists Tottenham in a crucial Friday night fixture, while Bournemouth travel to Manchester City four days later as they try to keep their European hopes alive.