A platform to improve on

The Cherries will be content that they competed against Villa. It was not like the lesson that Liverpool gave them in the cup games last season and with every match against such top class opposition the Cherries should start to improve. Good teams find ways of getting a result and that was simply what Villa were able to do in the end last Saturday. Looking forward though, AFCB have to see what was right about their performance that they can draw strength from now.

Artur Boruc was playing well against Villa, but was not that
busy first half and only had three shots on target to face.

The form of Artur Boric was one factor that has not been covered in much detail, but he had a reasonable game mainly because Villa did not give him much work to do. When he was needed he exuded confidence and that was a great basis for the back four to operate on. He did make one fabulous save going back on himself to reach a Scott Sinclair shot early in the second half which was hit with real venom. On another day that could have been the save that earned the Cherries a point. I think he will come to AFCB's rescue though on many occasions this season and I decided not to score him that highly for a game where he made one save and only faced three shots on target, one of which he could have thrown his kit bag on and still had time to run to the corner flag and back before preventing Agbonlahor's shot from going in.

Where the team did find it harder to play like it has in recent seasons is with the wing backs. Defensively Daniels and Francis were pushed back and did not find as much space to try and hurt Villa. The one player who did seem to always be in space was Matt Ritchie but he was often looking isolated and while his first touch was more often than not exceptional, it is asking a lot of him to always beat a couple of players before getting a shot in on goal or a cross to Wilson and King. AFCB need more players arriving late in the box to somethimes open teams up when they can't get around the back, as well as shooting more from the edge of the area.