AFC Bournemouth's Dream Opening Day Ruined by Ruthless Rudy Gestede

AFC Bournemouth's dream first day out in the Premier League ended in bitter disappointment, as a Rudy Gestede header earned Aston Villa a 1-0 win at Vitality Stadium.

The match suited the cliche "game of two halves" perfectly, with Bournemouth dominating the first period and Villa looking much stronger in the second. Cherries manager Eddie Howe doesn't have to hit the film room to know what went wrong for his side: A lack of cutting edge was the difference between three points and zero.

Bournemouth started faster, placing their proverbial foot on Villa's throat and refusing to lift even an inch. Clever switches placed full-backs Jordan Amavi and Leandro Bacuna under considerable pressure; the former managed to keep a lid on the impressive Bournemouth winger Matt Ritchie—just—but the latter struggled with Marc Pugh.

Scott Sinclair and Amavi seemed unable to come to a conclusion as to who should take Ritchie and how they should approach the very idea of marking him. Amavi, in particular, looked nervous and chose to play a reactive game—perhaps symbolic of his team's wider approach.

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Chance after chance for the Cherries ended in desperate blocks or skied shots; it seemed a matter of time before their first ever Premier League goal would come, but striker Callum Wilson missed a one-on-one with Brad Guzan and Micah Richards committed to some…acrobatic clearances in the box.

The half-time whistle sounded like a mercy bell for the beleaguered side in yellow, but rather than see the onslaught continue—as it did in the FA Cup final against Arsenal—the tide turned. Another magic Tim Sherwood team talk, or just a straight kick up the backside? Whatever happened inside those walls, it changed the complexion of the game.

Amavi found attacking rhythm, Jordan Ayew dropped in to help build play, and Idrissa Gueye started moving through the gears. A well-oiled Villa machine appeared, and it quickly became apparent they would be far less profligate than the hosts.

A lovely move released Gabby Agbonlahor down the right-hand side, but the onrushing Gueye smashed the Englishman's cross straight at Artur Boruc. Seizing the momentum, Sherwood sent on £6 million man Rudy Gestede for his debut, and it didn't take long for him to make the sort of impact all too familiar to those who've seen him before.

Gestede's bullet header from Ashley Westwood's arcing corner gave the visitors the lead, and, using their debutant as a focal point/safety valve, Villa rode the late storm to claim victory.

Eddie Howe tried everything to haul his side level. Max Gradel came on and produced some lovely flicks to set up attacks and Ritchie sparked back into life, but some seriously impressive defending from Richards, who got his head to every ball that was floated in, foiled the Cherries' chances of a late equaliser.

"They played open, good football. First half they were unfortunate not to go in with the lead," Sherwood said of Bournemouth to reporters after the game.

"The plan was to keep it tight first half. We did that for 30 minutes but lost the plot a bit and have Brad Guzan to thank. Second half the plan was to step in, make more forward runs, play more direct and get on the ball. Rudy helped us with that."

"It was an excellent result," he declared.

Bournemouth learned several harsh realities of Premier League life in this opener. Despite playing fantastic football for 45 minutes, their intensity dropped in the second period, and their missed chances came back to haunt them.

Switching play to Ritchie is the crux of their attacking intent, but once Amavi wised up to his style—and then turned on the attacking afterburners himself—Villa gained a foothold and made it count.

AFCB's reputation for playing fluid football preceded them as they entered the Premier League, and their goal tally from last season was jaw-dropping. As ever, it's a classic test of how quickly they can adapt to the top level, melding quality, pass-and-move football with a much-needed ruthless streak.

All quotes obtained first-hand unless otherwise noted.

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