Aston Villa vs Bournemouth Prediction: Rogers to get off the mark at Villa Park

Aston Villa's season continues to go from strength to strength with Tuesday's 2-0 win over Bologna making it 10 games unbeaten since a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on August 24. Up next at Villa Park, on Saturday afternoon (15:00), is a team that beat the Gunners 2-0 last weekend - AFC Bournemouth.

Below you can find my Aston Villa vs Bournemouth prediction, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this meeting between two of the four Basque Country Premier League managers - Unai Emery and Andoni Iraola.

Team News

After injury issues at the start of the season, Aston Villa appear to have a fully-fit squad now. However, Jaden Philogene will be missing this weekend as he serves a suspension for the red card he received in last Saturday's 3-1 victory over Fulham.

Emery made four changes to the team that started at Craven Cottage for the Villans' midweek win in the Uefa Champions League, swapping out Matty Cash, Lucas Digne, Jacob Ramsey and Ollie Watkins for Ezri Konsa, Ian Maatsen, John McGinn and Jhon Duran. Digne, Watkins and possibly Ramsey are expected to come back in, but Konsa could remain at right-back, allowing Diego Carlos and Pau Torres to continue their centre-back partnership.

Football Odds

Iraola suffered a big blow to his plans this week with the news that Alex Scott has undergone surgery on a knee injury. The 21-year-old started the Cherries' win over Arsenal last weekend but will have to be replaced in the starting XI on Saturday.

Ryan Christie came off the bench to score Bournemouth's first goal against Mikel Arteta's side and he is the natural replacement for Scott.

Tyler Adams made his first matchday squad of the season last Saturday and will hope to get his first minutes this weekend, but it would be a huge surprise if they came from the start at Villa Park.

Justin Kluivert also came off the sidelines to good effect against the Gunners, creating Christie's opener before netting from the penalty spot himself, and the Dutchman is primed to replace Dango Ouattara this weekend.

Luis Sinisterra, meanwhile, won't travel due to a minor issue.

Aston Villa vs Bournemouth Odds

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Aston Villa are 10/11, or a 52.4% chance, to secure back-to-back home wins this week, while Bournemouth are 3/1 (25%) to triumph on their travels for just the second time this season. The draw, meanwhile, can be backed at 11/4.

Both teams to score is priced at 8/15 and over 2.5 total goals at 4/7, while Watkins (11/8) heads the anytime goalscorer market. Evanilson and Antoine Semenyo (both 12/5) are considered the most likely Cherries to breach the Villa backline.

Match Result & Both Teams To Score - Aston Villa & Yes @ 11/5

Both teams have found the net in five of the last seven Premier League games between the sides, including both head-to-heads last season when they played out a 2-2 draw at the Vitality Stadium in December before Villa won 3-1 at home in April.

Both teams to score has landed in 75 per cent (6/8) of the Villans' league matches so far this term, with only Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester City, Leicester City and Brentford (all 88 per cent) recording a higher percentage. Emery's side have won five of those six contests, only failing to take all three points in a 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town at Portman Road last month.

Meanwhile, 50 per cent (4/8) of Bournemouth's Premier League games in 2024/25 have finished with at least a goal on either side, although all three of their defeats - to Chelsea, Liverpool and Leicester - have seen the Cherries fail to score.

Iraola's charges haven't scored on the road since beating Everton 3-2 at Goodison Park on August 31, but last week's victory over last season's runners-up, Arsenal, should instil some confidence back into the side ahead of a trip to Birmingham this weekend.

Villa have kept three clean sheets in their last four games, including two in their most recent three, but the latest couple came against Man United and Bologna, who have both been struggling in front of goal this season.

After Villa's Champions League exertions in midweek, Saturday's visitors will be sensing an opportunity to score on Saturday, particularly with a few pacy forwards against the home side's high defensive line.

However, the likes of Watkins and Ramsey should be feeling fresh after only coming on in the second half on Tuesday, and they should help the hosts to outscore their opponents.

Anytime Goalscorer - Morgan Rogers (AVL) @ 21/10

Morgan Rogers' form this season, and the backend of last, has sparked talk of a maiden call-up to the senior England squad.

However, interim boss Lee Carsley has, so far, elected to keep the 22-year-old in the England U21s setup, much to the puzzlement of Emery.

One reason for Rogers' omission from the senior side could be his lack of goals and assists, which pale in comparison with the likes of Cole Palmer, his former Manchester City teammate.

Rogers joined Villa from EFL Championship side Middlesbrough midway through the 2023/24 campaign and didn't find the net until April, a month in which he scored all three of last season's Premier League goals.

He started this season slowly in front of goal, too, failing to fire until September 29 when he struck Villa's first in their 2-2 draw with Ipswich, but he backed that up by scoring in the Birmingham club's next away game, the 3-1 win at Fulham last weekend.

So, that's two goals in his last three Premier League games, but the objective now is to strike for the first time at Villa Park in 2024/25.

Rogers missed a great opportunity to get off the mark in the iconic stadium on Tuesday as he failed to convert a one-on-one with Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, but the encouraging aspect is that he keeps getting into dangerous positions, and surely sooner rather than later, things will start to turn for him at Villa Park.

I'm backing it to be this weekend, at odds of 21/10.

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