Evanilson’s late header denied Villa victory in a thrilling 1-1 draw.

Evanilson equalized in the 96th minute as Bournemouth fought back to a thrilling 1-1 draw against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

The home side were in control for much of the match, but goalkeeper Mark Travers’ heroics for Bournemouth kept a goal out for 76 minutes.

Ross Barkley came off the bench to find the breakthrough for Unai Emery’s side but there was to be a turnaround in second-half stoppage time.

Substitute Evanilson headed in a free-kick to snatch a point for the Cherries, ensuring Villa could not stay within striking distance of the top.

Third-placed Villa are now five points behind leaders Manchester City, while Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth are in 10th place with 12 points from nine matches.

How the match developed

Ollie Watkins and Youri Tielemans tested Travers, replacing the injured Kepa Arrizabalaga, in the first quarter of an hour as the hosts started well.

Travers remained busy as he saved Amadou Onana’s header in the 23rd minute and then saved Ezri Konsa’s strike.

In between these moments, Villa captain John McGinn put the ball in the net when he fired a left-footed shot into the top corner, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review as Watkins failed to keep the ball in play in the formation. up.

Emery introduced Barkley and in-form striker John Duran early in the second half and Travers continued his fine play between the sticks, making back-to-back saves to deny Pau Torres and Watkins around the hour mark.

Three Villa substitutes combined for Villa’s first goal when Jan Maatsen crossed the ball towards Leon Bailey, who saved it and Barkley turned the ball home.

Emery’s men believed that this goal would be enough to earn three points, but the Cherries had other plans.

Evanilson saved Marcus Tavernier’s free kick in the 96th minute as both teams shared the victory.

Villa was detained after another European night

Villa sit comfortably at the top of the 36-team Champions League table, having won all three of their matches so far. But they have found it difficult to maintain their level when returning to domestic action after impressive European fixtures.

After beating Young Boys, Emery’s side needed a late comeback to earn three points against Wolves, while they had to settle for a goalless draw with Manchester United after losing to Bayern Munich.

Emery made more changes on Saturday than on his previous two occasions, with Watkins replacing Durand in the top spot and Matty Cash, Konsa, Lucas Digne and Jacob Ramsey all coming into the side that beat Bologna on Tuesday.

They made three changes in the first leg but failed to win again – meaning they have won just once in their last four Premier League matches.

With the fixtures coming thick and fast, Emery’s side will have to learn the art of juggling domestic and European competition if they are to continue pushing for a top-four finish in the league this campaign.

Bournemouth impress again

Ryan Christie and Kluivert were on target as the Cherries inflicted their first defeat of the season on 10-man Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium last week, earning a third win of their league campaign.

And Iraola’s men managed to maintain the momentum, showing great character to earn a point against an impressive side at Villa Park.

The Cherries had their goalkeeper Travers to thank for keeping them in the match with a string of impressive saves, but the visitors also managed to keep Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez on his toes at the other end of the pitch.

The Argentina goalkeeper had to fend off long-range efforts from Kluivert and Dango Ouattara but was unable to meet Evanilson’s header at the death.

However, the Cherries will soon have to convert those draws into wins as they have won just three times in 14 Premier League matches this calendar year.

Club reports

Villa report | Bournemouth Report

Next Premier League matches

Key facts

Villa have failed to win any of their last three Premier League home matches by scoring the first goal, having previously won 17 such matches in a row. The Villains dropped their first points this season after winning at home.

Evanilson scored Bournemouth’s second Premier League goal (95-43) after Junior Stanislas’ 98th-minute equalizer against Everton in November 2015, their last ever goal away from home.

Barkley scored his first Premier League goal for Villa since January 2021 (vs Southampton), while it is his first home goal in the competition since December 2023 for Luton (vs Chelsea). his team is ahead in the match.

There were seven yellow cards shown in the first half between Villa and Bournemouth, with no Premier League match seeing more yellow cards in the first 45 minutes. Arsenal in September.