Following the highs of another Champions League triumph, Aston Villa host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Aston Villa are threatening to challenge near the top once more this season, proving Jamie Carragher’s pre-season prediction of Villa wrong.
The Villans currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, level on points with Arsenal, and they can cement their spot in the top four with a win over Bournemouth.
Unai Emery’s men are unbeaten against the Cherries in their last three outings, including a 3-1 win in April.
However, there was a period between 2016 and 2022 where Bournemouth were somewhat of a nemesis to Villa, winning four games on the trot.
Gary Neville doesn’t think the South Coasters will recapture that success this weekend, predicting Villa to beat Bournemouth 2-1.
Andy Madley named as referee for Aston Villa vs Bournemouth
The referees and officials have now been appointed for the 10 Premier League games this weekend.
Andy Madley is the man in the middle as Villa prepare to face off against Bournemouth and he’s taken charge of 23 matches involving the Birmingham outfit, only refereeing Wolves more times.
The Villans’ record when he’s officiating is pretty respectable, recording 11 wins, six draws and six losses, whilst dishing out 47 yellows and one red card.
Much like most referees, the appointment of Madley will have many supporters remembering one controversial decision he made during Dean Smith’s tenure in charge at Villa Park.
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Dean Smith was once left furious at Andy Madley
Under the world-class Unai Emery, Villa have been transformed into a European powerhouse, topping the Champions League table and wreaking havoc in the Premier League.
Some Villa fans are still pinching themselves at the position they’re in, as three years ago, their side were battling relegation under Smith.
In November 2021, they tasted a 1-0 defeat to Southampton, leaving them just three points above the relegation zone and piling further pressure on Smith.
Villa were perhaps unfortunate to come away from St Mary’s with a loss, however, as they should have had a penalty when Oriol Romeu dragged Tyrone Mings’ shirt in the box.
BBC Sport stated that Villa’s bench was left ‘furious’ at the decision not to award Mings a penalty, with Smith losing his job two days after the result, bringing an awful tenure to an end.
He was, of course, replaced by Steven Gerrard – who turned out to be another disaster – before Emery completely transformed the whole club’s fortunes.
