Bournemouth ease into Carabao Cup quarter-finals after win over Aston Villa
Amine Adli, Lewis Cook and Alvaro Rodriguez were on target.
Bournemouth continued their impressive run of results by thumping Aston Villa 3-0 to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time in eight seasons.
Winger Amine Adli fired home in the seventh minute at the Vitality Stadium to set Marco Rose’s in-form side on course for a fifth consecutive win in all competitions.
Cherries captain Lewis Cook added a fortuitous second early in the second period before striker Alvaro Rodriguez sealed another 3-0 success following similar wins over AC Milan and Manchester United.
Villa – five-time League Cup winners – were second best for most of a fruitless trip to the south coast as they suffered a first defeat in eight games.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis and substitutes Alejandro Garnacho and Alysson had the visitors’ best chances in Dorset but Bournemouth registered a fifth clean sheet in a row to ease into the last eight.
Both sides made wholesale changes for the fourth-round tie, with Bournemouth opting for eight following Sunday’s memorable visit to Old Trafford and Villa making nine after Saturday’s 2-1 success over Manchester City.
Adli – one of the players brought in by Cherries boss Rose – finished a fine team move to open the scoring.
After James Tavernier unlocked the visitors’ defence with a delightful ball over the top, full-back Julio Soler delivered a lofted cross from the left, allowing Morocco international Adli to fire into the top-right corner from six yards out.
Villa’s unfamiliar line-up struggled to create in the opening stages and only a smart stop from goalkeeper Marco Bizot prevented Ben Gannon-Doak extending Bournemouth’s lead.
George Hemmings flashed wide as Unai Emery’s team eventually threatened before 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo was denied by a smothering save from Cherries keeper Michele Di Gregorio.
Madjo was later booking for diving after going to ground in the Bournemouth penalty box under pressure from Bafode Diakite, while Tavernier curled narrowly wide of the left post at the other end.
Bournemouth doubled their lead six minutes into the second half.
Villa initially survived when keeper Bizot superbly tipped on to the crossbar and behind to thwart Cherries right-back Juanlu at the end of a marauding run.
However, Cook took the resulting left-wing corner short and, after receiving the ball back from Gannon-Doak, caught out Bizet with a low inswinging cross which crept in at the near post.
Villa midfielder Joao Gomes saw an opportunity to halve the deficit saved by Di Gregorio, while defender Harwood-Bellis went close with a header.
Hopes of a comeback ended in the 69th minute when Rodriguez burst into the penalty box and lashed his second goal of the season into the bottom-right corner after Tyler Adams intercepted a loose pass.
Garnacho was denied a consolation by Di Gregorio after racing clear before fellow replacement Alysson headed a golden chance wide as Bournemouth’s defence held out to make it a hat-trick of 3-0 wins.