Bournemouth 1-1 Aston Villa: Rayan scores on first start as Villa fall further behind leaders Arsenal
Report and free match highlights as Aston Villa drop points again in draw at Bournemouth; Morgan Rogers slams visitors in front against the run of play; Rayan equalises for Bournemouth in second half; Emi Martinez makes seven saves to earn Villa a point; Villa nine behind leaders Arsenal
Saturday 7 February 2026 18:00, UK
Aston Villa fell further behind leaders Arsenal after Brazilian teenager Rayan scored on his first start for Bournemouth to earn them a 1-1 draw.
Villa are now nine points off top spot following their shock home defeat to 10-man Brentford last weekend and had the brilliant Emi Martinez to thank for making a host of saves on the south coast as Manchester United and Chelsea both made ground on Unai Emery's side in the race for the Champions League.
Morgan Rogers had given Villa the lead against the run of play, scoring with their first shot after Bournemouth had fired off six, smashing high into the net at Djorde Petrovic's near post having been slipped in by Jadon Sancho.
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Villa defied the expected goals numbers once again as Bournemouth chalked up 2.31 xG from 20 shots and forced Martinez into seven saves.
Roger's eighth league goal of the season came after Martinez had made a double save to deny Eli Junior Kroupi and Evanilson although Ollie Watkins did have the ball in the net for Villa with a tap-in that was ruled out for offside.
Bournemouth recorded 1.42 xG in the first half as Martinez delivered another double stop, preventing Adam Scott's piledriver and Evanilson's follow-up before Rayan sent a header against the crossbar at a corner.
Rayan, seen as a long-term replacement for Antonie Semenyo and signed for £30.3m from Vasco da Gama in the January transfer window, wasn't to be denied in the second half as he ghosted past Lucas Digne and fired into the bottom right corner.
Villa had looked like scoring every time they went forward in the first half, but they never rediscovered their attacking threat after the break with only Matty Cash forcing a top save from Petrovic. At the other end, Ezri Konsa was lucky to avoid giving away a penalty for his tackle on Scott, which was just outside the area following a VAR check.
Bournemouth pushed for a winner with Martinez making two crucial saves on separate occasions from Ryan Christie to earn his side a point.
Luck running out for 'uninspiring' Villa
Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe:
Defying expected goals has been a common theme for Aston Villa this season, but it looks like their luck is beginning to run out.
Morgan Rogers' well-taken goal was against the run of play and the promise they showed in the early stages of this game quickly faded.
A tally of just 0.44 xG highlights the lack of cutting edge, intent and quality in the final third which plagued this performance.
If it wasn't for Emiliano Martinez and the seven saves he made, Villa would have walked away empty-handed.
A nine-point gap to Arsenal at the top of the table has quickly opened and dreams of competing for the title have shifted to fears over the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United closing in behind them.
They still hold an eight-point gap on Liverpool in sixth but if they continue to play like this, that will reduce and their hopes of securing Champions League football will follow suit.
In both the defeat to Brentford and the draw to Bournemouth, Villa have been dull and uninspiring. Injuries have plagued the squad but there is no time for excuses; Villa need to find their spark again.
Emery: A very good point
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery:
"It's a good point. Difficult and the first half we fought, dominated at times, we needed the defence and offensively we created chances and scored. It was an equal match in the first half.
"The second half, we couldn't [repeat it]. They were in our box more times than we wanted. We tried to get some momentum to create chances, but they created more.
"This is a very good point."
Iraola: A point isn't enough
Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola:
"It's a good point, but looking at the game, it's not enough for us. I cannot feel completely satisfied because we were the better team and couldn't win.
"Every time we face Emi Martinez he is so, so good. It's really difficult to beat him. There's a reason why he's a world champion and he shows it every weekend.
"I told the players at half-time we were doing very well and had to play the same way, it was a matter of time until we scored."
'Rayan has been amazing'
Bournemouth midfielder Adam Scott on Rayan:
"He's been brilliant. There are high expectations of him. We know how good he is, we've seen him in training and he's got Evanilson here to help him settle in.
"We're helping him as much as we can, trying to teach him bits of English. He's been amazing since he's come in. A first start, a first goal and hopefully loads more to come."
