Gestede bursts Cherries bubble

Rudy Gestede climbed off the bench to burst Bournemouth's bubble and earn Aston Villa a 1-0 win in the season opener at Dean Court on Saturday.

Rudy Gestede climbed off the bench to burst Bournemouth's bubble and earn Aston Villa a 1-0 win in the season opener at Dean Court on Saturday.

Bournemouth 0 Aston Villa 1
Hosts dominate first half
Villa hand debuts to six signings
Gradel makes debut off bench
Sub Gestede heads home winner

Match Summary

Eddie Howe's Cherries made a bright start to life in the Premier League and dominated the early stages, with Matt Ritchie, Dan Gosling and Callum Wilson wasting good first-half chances.

Leandro Bacuna's first-half free-kick into the wall was as good as it got for Tim Sherwood's sluggish Villans, who emerged from the interval a different team after a half-time roasting.

Villa showed their threat when Idrissa Gueye, one of six summer signings to start for Villa, drew a fine save from Artur Boruc - and they broke the deadlock on 72 when sub Gestede powered home a header from seven yards out.

Full Report

The Vitality Stadium, which only holds 11,700 fans, was packed to the rafters at kick-off and the hosts flew out of the traps, with Ritchie hooking a shot wide on 26 minutes.

Andrew Surman steered a 30-yard drive off target before Gosling scooped a great chance over the crossbar from 12 yards out just after the half-hour mark.

It was all Bournemouth and Villa keeper Brad Guzan kept his side in the game on 39, when Wilson broke clear but was denied a goal by the American's legs.

Bacuna crashed a 25-yard free-kick into the home side's wall and Ciaran Clark saw yellow for a foul on Ritchie before Guzan was called into action again, this time saving a volley from Marc Pugh.

Pugh made way for Max Gradel in the second half, with Yann Kermorgant coming on for debutant Joshua King.

But it was a change from Sherwood that proved to be the game's turning point, as he sent on £6million summer signing Gestede for Jordan Ayew on the hour mark.

Villa looked much more threatening after the break and Boruc did well to save Gueye's crisp strike before seeing Gestede whistle a volley wide.

The former Blackburn striker netted the winning goal on 72 minutes, though, when he powered a header home from seven yards out.

Villa held on to bank all three points and beat a newly-promoted Premier League team on the opening day for the first time.