This is an Aston Villa side that works hard and tries its best to get a result. Particularly from losing position, this squad is among the top teams in the Premier League that finds a way to get points in such situations. Frustrated fans may point to the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace, but that was more of an exception and an opponent that caught Villa on a bad day.
Throughout the season, however, particularly in the back, AVFC have been too casual and relaxed in possession. The flare-up from Unai Emery aimed at Ezri Konsa may have stood out and illustrated this point, but in reality, that was simply one of many instances.
Too many times, Villa have not had the needed sense of urgency. It is good that they are calm and composed. Anything can be overdone, though, and being too loose with the ball in critical areas has led to goals being scored against the Villans.
This presents an interesting test and chess matchup for Emery to think about when his side faces Bournemouth AFC. The Cherries have players who enjoy pressing and are not shy about doing so, almost to the point of being reckless. In some aspects, they are counting on other Prem sides being too casual in possession and spilling the ball to provide enticing counter opportunities.
Emery will, of course, know this heading in. How the Spaniard decides to face this issue will be important. Then, perhaps more importantly, how the players implement his direction could be the difference between a result or a defeat against someone they are favored to beat.
Without the backing and support of Villa Park, this makes the Saturday challenge all the more difficult to face. While VP will not play a factor in this EPL fixture, the same players who looked better than the Champions League finalists PSG and who thrashed Newcastle are still going to be present.
At the end of the day, if this team is truly going to challenge for a top six spot in the Prem annually while advancing in other competitions and ultimately winning a trophy, they need to be able to do so during away fixtures.
Bigger picture for Aston Villa against Bournemouth
Securing the fortress and making sure points aren't dropped at home is important. Looking like a completely different side and not being able to pose the same threat is not something that good teams do.
Between the efforts of the boss, Monchi, and everyone else at the club, there is too much that indicates that there is a tremendous amount of quality at Villa. Saturday's fixture against Bournemouth will be an excellent litmus test to see how much further this club has to go heading into the final stretch of this season.