EPL: Bournemouth v Aston Villa – what stats say
Bournemouth’s first-ever Premier League game in August 2015 was a 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa – they’ve won all three of their league meetings with the Villans since then, each by a 2-1 scoreline.
Aston Villa have won just once on the five previous occasions they’ve kicked off a Premier League campaign against a promoted side (D1 L3), though that victory did come at Bournemouth in 2015-16.
After losing their first-ever meeting with Bournemouth 3-0 in October 1971, Aston Villa have scored in each of their last eight against the Cherries in all competitions. Nine of their 11 total goals against them have come in the second half of games, including all four in the Premier League.
In four of their five seasons at top-flight level, at least one of the sides competing in Bournemouth’s opening league match of the season has gone on to be relegated: their opponents Aston Villa in 2015-16, West Brom in 2017-18, Cardiff City in 2018-19 and Bournemouth themselves in 2019-20.
Aston Villa have lost two of their three opening day Premier League matches since returning to the top flight in 2019 (W1), shipping three goals in each defeat: 1-3 v Spurs in 2019-20 and 2-3 v Watford in 2021-22.
Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last 10 home league games (W6 D4) since a 1-0 loss to Hull in January. However, in the Premier League the Cherries have won just three of their last 13 at the Vitality Stadium (D3 L7).
Aston Villa finished the 2021-22 Premier League campaign with just two wins from their final 11 games (D3 L6), with those victories coming against Norwich City and Burnley, who were both relegated.
Our 2022/23 season starts 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 👊
🆚 @AVFCOfficial
🏟 Vitality Stadium
🏆 @premierleague
⏰ 3pm kick-off
#️⃣ #BOUAVLLet’s go, lads 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Q0s6hQrYF4
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) August 6, 2022
Read Also: EPL: Fulham v Liverpool – what stats say
Bournemouth boss Scott Parker and Aston Villa’s Steven Gerrard met 15 times as players in the Premier League, with Gerrard winning nine to Parker’s four (two draws). All four of Parker’s victories against Gerrard came in home games (twice with Charlton, once with Newcastle, once with West Ham).
Aston Villa’s Philippe Coutinho has been involved in three goals in his last two Premier League appearances against Bournemouth (2 goals, 1 assist), scoring and assisting in his only previous visit to the Vitality Stadium in a 4-0 win for Liverpool in December 2017.
Dominic Solanke has been involved in 20 goals in his last 22 home league games for Bournemouth, scoring 17 and assisting a further three. Solanke was the highest-scoring English player in the top four tiers of English football last season (29).