Bournemouth 0-1 Aston Villa
by Kadeem Simmonds
at Dean Court

PREMIER LEAGUE defenders will want to get out of the way of the moving car that is Rudy Gestede, Tim Sherwood said on Saturday.

Gestede came off the bench to score the only goal of the game as Aston Villa defeated league debutants Bournemouth.

And Sherwood doesn’t think any defenders will be able to stop the 6'4" striker.

“It’s very hard,” said Sherwood. “It’s going to be a nightmare for a lot of defenders. It’s up to us to create those chances.

He’s going to be a real handful for anyone.

“It’s not only his jump, his accuracy with his heading. He throws his whole body at it. Defenders want to get out of the way. He’s like a moving car, you don’t mind standing in front of a parked one but you want to move out of the way when it’s coming at you at 30mph.”

At half-time, it looked like only one team was taking three points from the match and it wasn’t Villa.

Bournemouth, who were celebrating their first-ever game in the top flight of English football should have had the game wrapped by the break.

First Callum Wilson spurned a glorious one-on-one chance after breaking the offside trap, but his shot was straight at Brad Guzan.

Dan Gosling missed the best opportunity of the match when he spooned over from 12-yards with Guzan left rooted to the spot.

And Marc Pugh’s shot on the stroke of half-time was saved by Guzan, though the shot was straight at him.

At the break, you could sense that fate was going to deal the Cherries a cruel hand and punish them for not taking their chances.

Villa played better — they couldn’t get worse — after the break and the introduction of Gestede made all the difference.

Eddie Howe said the goal something out of non-league football as Bournemouth were undone by a simple set-piece.

Gestede rose highest from a Keiran Westwood corner and, despite being pulled back by his marker, powered home the header to score the only goal of the game.

But the positive, passing style of football is here to stay according to Howe, who believes it can be successful at this level.

“I think our style of football can be successful in the Premier League. I think sides that have come up previously have demonstrated that so we will endeavour to make it work.”