A SOUTH AMERICAN sub came off the bench to turn this game on its head and grab the headlines.
But for once it wasn’t Villa’s Colombian Superkid Jhon Duran who made the difference.
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Instead, it was Bournemouth’s brilliant Brazilian Evanilson who set jaws dropping all around Villa Park as he performed a stunning smash n’ grab act with the last action of the match.
Evanilson stooped to conquer, six minutes into stoppage time as the Cherries launched one last Hail Mary.
Goalkeeper Mark Travers was just one of a pack of Bournemouth players who packed the back post area of Villa’s box.
However Marcus Tavernier whipped a wicked free kick towards the near post where Evanilson stretched to glance a header beyond the outstretched gloves of Emi Martinez and in at the far post.
That goal cancelled out Ross Barkley‘s opener which every Villa fan thought was enough to earn them three points.
However the Cherries had other ideas and rocked Villa with a sucker punch to leave their fans taunting Villa with chants of: “Champions League, you’re having a laugh.”
But no-one at Villa saw the funny side after surrendering two crucial points, despite climbing above Arsenal into third.
Emery’s men made the kind of positive start you would have expected from the team currently sitting pretty at the top of the Champions League table.
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Within six minutes Ollie Watkins had burst clear on a long Konsa through ball and almost rounded Mark Travers.
But Bournemouth’s stand-in stopper did enough to delay the England striker and, with the help of Ilia Zabarnyi, managed to snuff out the danger.
Jacob Ramsey was pulling the strings down Villa’s left and he set up Watkins, who laid the ball off to Morgan Rogers whose side-foot flew just over.
Bournemouth were struggling to get forward but even when they did, Ezri Konsa earned an ovation from the Holte End and applause from Emery for effortlessley easing Dango Ouattara off the ball as the winger threatened.
Lewis Cook managed to cut out a Ramsey delivery which fell for Youri Tielemans, whose shot was brilliantly beaten away by Travers.
The Republic of Ireland keeper was lapping up every moment of his return for the injured Kepa Arrizabalaga.
And he thwarted a clever Villa set piece routine with a fingertip save to push Amadou Onana’s net bound header for a corner.
However the 25-year-old goalie was picking the ball out of his net just before the half-hour as Villa thought they had finally broken the deadlock.
Ramsey again left Julian Araujo for dead and fired a shot across the face of goal.
Watkins retrieved the ball beyond the back post and cut it back to John McGinn who transferred it onto his left foot to beat Travers with a sweetly struck shot into the far corner.
However Villa celebrations were soon cut short as VAR intervened.
It ruled that the ball had fractionally crossed the line when Watkins cut it back and Bournemouth breathed again.
Although Andoni Iraola had seen enough and swiftly hooked
Justin Kluivert fired in their first shot on goal after 33 minutes, with a screamer from 25 yards, but Martinez superbly beat it away for a corner at full stretch.
Villa were showing admirable patience and Ezri Konsa cursed his luck after sending in a sensational shot from 25 yards which Travers brilliantly turned over.
But Bournemouth threatened again on half-time as Martinez turned away Outtara’s dipping shot at full-stretch.
For a 0-0 draw it was entertaining stuff although how ref Chris Kavanagh managed to book SEVEN players in 45 minutes without a bad foul being committed was anyone’s guess.
He managed to add another five after the break to take his tally for the day to a staggering 12 in a game with no malice at all.
In the end, Villa must have thought their stronger bench saw them through.
Emery replaced Onana at half-time after the £50million midfielder seemed to suffer a knock.
Ross Barkley came on in what turned out to be an inspired swap.
Travers continued to impress, producing a couple of stunning stops to turn over a vicious 25 yarder from Pau Torres, then a powerful header from Watkins.
Emery turned to his joker Jhon Duran before the hour was up, sending him on for Rogers.
For once the hitman wasn’t Villa’s saviour as he squandered a gaping goal 16 minutes from the end which left Villa Park gasping.
Ramsey fed Watkins who picked out Duran, 12 yards from goal, but somehow the Colombian kid curled his left-footer wide.
However Villa thought they had seized all three points when Barkley struck two minutes later.
He slid in to squeeze the ball beyond Travers after Bailey had nodded down a Watkins cross.
But Villa’s celebrations were cut short as they fell victim to Evanilson’s last-gasp leveller!
