Aston Villa endured a frustrating afternoon on Saturday as they saw all three points slip away from them late on.
Aston Villa looked to have secured their sixth victory of the campaign but Bournemouth striker Evanilson had the last laugh, scoring a 96th-minute equaliser to secure a last-gasp point.
Unai Emery will have been pleased with Villa’s performance against the Cherries, as the hosts dominated most of the game however, they didn’t kill their opponents off and paid the ultimate price.
There were also a couple of refereeing decisions that dominated the headlines, particularly when John McGinn saw his goal get disallowed.
That was ultimately the right call, as replays showed that the ball went out of play in the build-up, with VAR proving useful on this occasion.
However, Emery’s men were also perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty in the match when one player put in a clumsy tackle in the box.
Matty Cash fortunate not to concede a penalty vs Bournemouth
The most controversial moment of the match was when Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo was shown a yellow card for simulation after going down in the Villa box under Matty Cash’s challenge.
Alan Shearer felt Semenyo didn’t dive and Cash was fortunate not to concede a penalty while Villa expert John Townley also felt the Poland international got away with one.
“I don’t know. But ultimately, Cash has made the decision to go in a bit recklessly, I think, because the ball wasn’t there to be won,” Townley said on the Claret & Blue podcast.
“Potentially it was, but I just think he wasn’t in enough danger as a player to think, okay, I have to lunge in now and you’re not going to go for the ball there and not take the man as well.
“I think it was probably a penalty. That’s me as being as unbiased as I possibly can be.”
Cash could cost Aston Villa in top four race
When it comes to defending in his box, Cash has a proven track record of diving into a tackle or making a reckless error that can cost his side.
In the opening-day win over West Ham, the Poland international conceded a penalty after handling the ball in the box, with Lucas Paqueta converting the resulting spot-kick.
Last season, Cash ironically conceded a penalty against Bournemouth after flying into Milos Kerkez, as the 27-year-old was made to pay for his recklessness.
Villa fans have vented their frustrations over Cash previously and rightly so, with the attacking full-back far from convincing when it comes to defending.
Ultimately, the former Nottingham Forest star could cost Emery’s men dearly later down the line if he continues to put his team on edge with clumsy tackles in the box.
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