AFC Bournemouth were given a rude awakening to life in the Premier League after being dispatched 1-0 by a professional Aston Villa side.
The Villans took the lead midway through the second half thanks to a powerful header from substitute Rudy Gestede.
Bournemouth have plenty to be optimistic about, however, having had the lion’s share of possession (58%) throughout the match, creating one or two chances along the way. A lack of conviction in the final third ultimately cost the Cherries vital league points and dealt them their first defeat of the season.
The aptly named Vitality Stadium was packed to its 12,000-seat brim in anticipation of an eager Bournemouth’s first ever top flight match and they would not have been disappointed.
Bournemouth
Artur Boruc – 5: Only had a few chances to impose himself and looked good for the most part, however did very little in the way of stopping the Gestede’s header.
Simon Francis – 4: The right-back struggled to contain Scott Sinclair and the overlapping Amavi.
Steve Cook – 5: Looked overwhelmed by his company at times and gave away a poor foul on Gabriel Agbonlahor late in the first half. When on the back foot his clearances were a bit shaky.
Tommy Elphick – 6: Strong in tackles and comfortable at the back. Covered the right-back well. Did lose Gestede on that corner, but on the whole played well.
Charlie Daniels – 6: Chosen ahead of marquee signing Tyrone Mings, Daniels had a good first half, but his consistency faded in the second half.
Dan Gosling – 5: All round, he had a decent game. Skyed the first good chance of the game in the 35th minute, but distributed the ball well enough in the middle.
Andrew Surman – 7: One of the standouts for Bournemouth, he was constantly threatening with impromptu through balls.
Marc Pugh – 5: Probably had the best chance for Bournemouth late in the first half, however struck his volley straight at Guzan. After a quiet second half he was subbed for Gradel in the 68th minute.
Matt Ritchie – 5: Looked to force the situation at times. Found space well on the right-flank and showed an ability to cut in onto his favoured right foot.
Callum Wilson – 4: Looked to fulfill his shot-taking obligations, though his natural single-mindedness was, at times, a hindrance to the flow of Bournemouth’s play. Aside from that he looked like he was struggling with the physicality of Micah Richards and Ciaran Clark.
Joshua King – 5: Showed himself to be a strong, surging runner. Looked to be Bournemouth’s most likely in the first half. An early booking may have had a part to play in his substitution.
Substitutes
Yann Kermorgant – 2: Came into the game off the pace and was dispossessed on a couple of occasions.
Max Gradel – 6: Had an instant impact off the bench with enthusiastic dribbles, though he could not procure anything during the time he had.
Eunan O’Kane – 4: He only had a couple of minutes at the end of the 90 and did not do anything spectacular in that time.
Aston Villa
Brad Guzan – 5: Had a good game in terms of his shot-stopping responsibilities. His distribution however, was a bit comical at times.
Micah Richards – 7: Aston Villa’s standout man at the back. Richards looked strong with the ball at his feet.
Ciaran Clark – 6: Proving an adequate partner to Richards, but was prone to giving away silly fouls.
Leonardo Bacuna – 5: Pass selection was questionable at times and struggled dealing with Gradel during one-on-one situations.
Jordan Amavi – 6: Defensively, he may have given a bit too much space to Ritchie, but recovered well. With the ball at his feet he was a pleasure to watch and showed real prowess for beating his man.
Idrissa Gueye – 6: Present in both attack and defence, Gueye announced himself as a capable box to box midfielder over the full 90 minutes.
Ashley Westwood – 6: In open play, Westwood was below standard. However, he did provide the assist for Gestede’s goal.
Jordan Vertout – 6: The Frenchman put in a reasonable shift in the engine room, subbed late for Carlos Sanchez.
Scott Sinclair – 7: Made a couple effective dribbles early on and showed eagerness in bursts. Arguably Villa’s best player in the first half.
Gabriel Agbonlahor – 6: Fairly anonymous over the first 30 minutes, but perked up as the game progressed. He had a couple of opportunities in the second half, but on occasion was a little too selfless for a centre man.
Jordan Ayew – 3: Play very regularly moved out to Ayew’s flank during the first half. An uneventful debut for the Ghanaian.
Substitutes
Rudy Gestede – 8: Known for his physical presence and aerial ability, he looked to press the matter. Lost his marker on a corner and found the back of the net with a powerful header. In open play he was strong and measured with his touches.
Kieran Richardson – 5: Subbed on to try and help maintain the lead. He managed to do so, but in uneventful style.
Carlos Sanchez – 4.5: Brought on in the last 20 minutes of the game. Did very little to put his stamp on the match.
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Pretty good and fair ratings.