Watkins breaks record as Villa guarantee European football

Ollie Watkins (left) has scored 16 goals for Aston Villa this season

Ollie Watkins became Aston Villa's record Premier League goalscorer as his winner at Bournemouth helped Unai Emery's side boost their Champions League qualification hopes.

Villa can no longer finish lower than seventh, meaning they are guaranteed European football in at least the Uefa Conference League next season.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 80th minute when Jacob Ramsey was shown a second yellow card, but the held on in sun-kissed Bournemouth to stay sixth in the Premier League table and maintain the pressure on the teams above.

In the final minute of first-half stoppage time Watkins guided Morgan Rogers' low cross into the bottom corner with a delicate, deft touch.

It was the England striker's 75th league goal for Villa and moved him one clear of Gabby Agbonlahor's previous record haul.

Villa endured a nervy finish when Ramsey received a second yellow for tripping David Brooks on the halfway line.

Ramsey had been booked in the first half after he squared up to Adam Smith following a poor challenge by the Cherries captain.

A man to the good, Bournemouth came incredibly close to an equaliser in the final seconds when Emiliano Martinez made a fingertip save to deny Antoine Semenyo's close-range header, and defender Matty Cash managed to nip in front of Daniel Jebbison to clear the ball off the line.

Top-five-chasing Villa are now level on points with fourth and fifth-placed Newcastle and Chelsea, who play each other on Sunday.

Watkins back to being Villa's main man

When Watkins equalled Agbonlahor's record in April he was resigned to sharing Villa's starting striker spot with Manchester United loan player Marcus Rashford.

At the time Watkins said he was "fuming" with his lack of game time.

With Rashford now out for the season with a hamstring injury, Watkins is once again Emery's main man.

The 29-year-old's importance cannot be understated. Each of his past four goals have put Villa into 1-0 leads.

And he provided his side with the quality they needed to break the deadlock after Marco Asensio had hit the post with a low strike and a brilliant Kepa Arrizabalaga double save denied Boubacar Kamara and Cash headers.

After the restart Villa continued to push as Kamara flashed a shot from range wide of the far post.

But they made things difficult for themselves after Ramsey's needless sending-off when the 23-year-old cynically tried to stop a Bournemouth counter-attack.

The winger will miss Villa's next match when they host Tottenham on Friday. The Birmingham club then face Manchester United at Old Trafford in their final game of the season.

Bournemouth will rue late misses

Defeat ended Bournemouth's five-game unbeaten run and checked their rise up the table.

The hosts were limited to a few half-chances for the first 80 minutes but then sparked into life, creating a hatful of opportunities late on.

Semenyo dragged a shot wide from a tight angle while Evanilson had a powerful header tipped over by Martinez.

Illia Zabarnyi and Marcos Senesi also nodded over in the closing stages.

But, of all their late chances, Bournemouth will especially rue not putting the ball in the net with almost the last kick of the game when Martinez got a crucial touch on Semenyo's header and Cash managed to clear from under his own bar with Jebbison lurking.

It meant the Cherries stayed 10th, two points behind Brentford in eighth place.

Eighth will be enough for a European spot this season if Crystal Palace lose in the FA Cup final to Manchester City.

Bournemouth are at Manchester City in their next match on Tuesday, 20 May, before hosting already-relegated Leicester City on the final day of the season.

After the match the club confirmed Alex Scott, who was substituted at half-time, fractured his jaw during the game.

The Cherries midfielder required lengthy treatment after being caught by Tyrone Mings' flailing elbow in the early in the first half and went to ground holding his face after another incident involving Amadou Onana.