Aston Villa 3-1 AFC Bournemouth

Aston Villa capped a memorable week as they came from behind to record a 3-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth – registering 101 goals for the season.

Morgan Rogers’ well-taken finish following a swift Villa counter-attack levelled matters in first half injury time at Villa Park, cancelling out Dominic Solanke’s penalty just after the half-hour mark.

Moussa Diaby’s ninth goal of the season in the 57^th minute then turned the clash around, before Leon Bailey added a third from close range following great work from the excellent Ollie Watkins, claiming his second assist of the encounter.

It sealed another big three points for Unai Emery’s superb side and came on the back of last weekend’s impressive 2-0 success at Arsenal and reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League in midweek.

It is only the second time Villa have registered 20 Premier League wins in a season, with the last coming in 1992/93 when the top-flight was contested over a 42-match campaign.

The victory, which extends Villa’s unbeaten home run to five matches in all competitions, moves Emery’s fourth-placed side six points clear of fifth place.

Rogers and Bailey returned to Villa’s XI having started among the substitutes for Thursday’s quarter-final second leg against LOSC Lille, appearing off the bench to help Villa progress to the last four after the demands of extra-time and penalties.

The hosts started brightly and Watkins saw a strike deflected over the crossbar before captain John McGinn whistled another effort off target from the subsequent corner.

Emi Martínez, penalty shoot-out hero in midweek, was called upon to make a strong one-handed save to keep out Justin Kluivert’s long-range effort with 16 minutes on the clock.

Diaby couldn’t fully connect with Bailey’s low ball in the box after great work from the wide man midway through the first half, while Dango Ouattara found the side-netting when well placed at the other end.

Watkins twice tested Neto early in the second half before the Villans took the lead in the 57^th minute.

Rogers fed Watkins with a delightful ball down the left and he cut inside before squaring for an onrushing Diaby to convert from six yards.

But it was the Cherries who opened the scoring in the 31^st minute as Solanke converted from the penalty spot after Matty Cash had brought down Milos Kerkez.

Cash fired narrowly wide from distance as the hosts went in search of an immediate response, and they found it in first-half injury time.

Diaby won the ball deep in Villa territory and fed Bailey, who sprayed a superb throughball with the outside of his foot to Rogers, and he surged forward, cut inside and beat Neto at his near post with a well-taken finish.

Martínez kept out Ouattara’s header with a great stop before the home side extended their advantage in the 78^th minute.

Watkins did superbly to hold the ball up and turn towards goal, playing a one-two with Diaby and then sending a ball across goal for Bailey to tap home from close range – his 14^th goal of the season.

The hosts were in control of the encounter but Martínez was called upon to produce an excellent double save to deny Enes Unal in injury time, as high-flying Villa recorded only a second victory over Bournemouth in their last seven meetings.