Manchester United and Manchester City have both been beaten this weekend. The teams responsible? Bournemouth and Aston Villa, who now meet for a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Marco Rose’s Bournemouth made light work of Manchester United on Sunday, cruising to a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford. Twenty-four hours earlier, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa had handed Manchester City their first Premier League defeat of the season with a 2-1 win.
Not a bad weekend for either club.
Bournemouth have now won four consecutive matches without conceding, having also beaten Sunderland, Sturm Graz and AC Milan.
Villa are enjoying an impressive run of their own, recording six wins and a draw from their last seven matches across all competitions.
Both clubs are competing in Europe this season, which means Wednesday’s cup tie presents an opportunity to rotate. However, neither manager will want to sacrifice a realistic chance of reaching the quarter-finals.
Bournemouth have the home advantage and arguably the stronger recent defensive record, but Villa’s depth and experience in knockout football could make the difference.
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What are the best betting tips for Bournemouth vs Aston Villa?
Aston Villa to qualify
Bournemouth’s recent performances deserve plenty of credit.
Four consecutive wins without conceding a goal is impressive enough, but victories over AC Milan and Manchester United suggest the Cherries are finding their feet under Marco Rose.
However, Villa have developed a habit of delivering results against difficult opponents.
Emery’s side have won six of their last seven matches, including victories over Manchester City, Newcastle United and Viking.
Their recent record against Bournemouth also makes interesting reading.
Villa are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with the Cherries, winning four and drawing three.
That includes three consecutive visits to the Vitality Stadium without defeat.
Emery also has considerable experience managing knockout matches, and his squad offers enough depth to make changes without completely sacrificing quality.
The likes of Leon Goretzka, Emiliano Buendía, Ian Maatsen and Taylor Harwood-Bellis could all feature.
Bournemouth are capable of winning this tie, particularly given their recent form, but Villa’s record against the hosts and the options available to Emery make them an appealing selection.
Rather than backing an away victory in 90 minutes, the qualification market provides protection if the match finishes level and Villa progress on penalties.
Over 2.5 goals
Bournemouth haven’t conceded in four matches, so backing goals against them might initially appear questionable.
However, Wednesday’s fixture is unlikely to feature the same defensive lineup that kept Manchester United quiet.
Rose is expected to rotate, with Bafodé Diakité, Julio Soler and Michele Di Gregorio among those pushing for starts.
Villa are also likely to make significant changes following their victory over Manchester City.
Rotation can create opportunities for attacking players, particularly when defenders are operating in unfamiliar combinations.
Both clubs have demonstrated their ability to score freely in recent weeks.
Bournemouth have scored 11 goals across their last four matches, including three apiece against Sturm Graz, AC Milan and Manchester United.
Villa have scored 20 goals during their last seven fixtures, averaging almost three per game.
They also beat Coventry City 3-1 in the previous round of this competition.
There’s a reasonable argument for a cautious opening, particularly with both managers expected to make changes.
However, the attacking quality available to both sides makes a match featuring at least three goals an attractive possibility.
Tammy Abraham anytime goalscorer
Tammy Abraham has an excellent record in the Carabao Cup.
The Aston Villa striker has registered seven goals and two assists in just 11 appearances in the competition, averaging a goal involvement every 51 minutes.
He also scored twice against Coventry City in Villa’s 3-1 victory in the previous round.
Those numbers are difficult to overlook.
Abraham offers Villa a physical presence in the penalty area, and his movement makes him particularly dangerous when opponents are defending crosses or second balls.
Bournemouth’s potential defensive rotation could provide opportunities for him to exploit.
The obvious concern is team selection.
Emery has several attacking options, including Nicolas Jackson and Brian Madjo, while Abraham could be rested or introduced from the bench.
That makes this a selection to revisit once the starting lineups are announced.
If Abraham starts, however, his competition record provides a compelling argument for considering him in the goalscorer market.
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How to watch Bournemouth vs Aston Villa
Date: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Kick-off: 7:45pm GMT
Venue: Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Competition: Carabao Cup fourth round
UK: Sky Sports+ and NOW.
USA: Check Paramount+ for live Carabao Cup coverage. Kick-off is at 3:45pm ET.
Canada: Check local EFL Cup broadcast listings for confirmed coverage.
Bournemouth predicted lineup and team news
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted XI: Di Gregorio; Smith, Hill, Diakité, Soler; Cook, Christie; Gannon-Doak, Brooks, Adli; Álvaro Rodríguez.
Bournemouth manager Marco Rose has plenty of reasons to make changes following Sunday’s victory at Manchester United.
The Cherries are balancing domestic football with their Europa League commitments, and Wednesday’s match provides an opportunity for several squad players to impress.
Michele Di Gregorio could replace Djordje Petrović in goal, while Bafodé Diakité and Julio Soler are candidates to return in defence.
Ryan Christie is pushing for a start in midfield after scoring a hat-trick against Lincoln City in the previous round.
Ben Gannon-Doak, David Brooks and Amine Adli could also be included in the attacking positions.
Álvaro Rodríguez is an option to lead the line, particularly with Junior Kroupi still being eased back into action.
Rose has confirmed that Kroupi will not start after making his return from a lengthy foot injury as a late substitute against Manchester United.
Alex Scott has also been dealing with injury problems, limiting Bournemouth’s midfield options.
Despite the expected changes, Rose has insisted that several players are in good condition and ready to contribute.
Aston Villa predicted lineup and team news
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted XI: Bizot; Bogarde, Harwood-Bellis, Mings, Maatsen; Goretzka, Barkley; Mbaye, Buendía, Alysson; Abraham.
Unai Emery is also expected to rotate after Villa’s victory over Manchester City.
Marco Bizot could start in goal, with Lamare Bogarde, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tyrone Mings and Ian Maatsen among the defensive options.
Leon Goretzka is pushing for his first start, while Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendía could provide experience in midfield.
Ibrahim Mbaye and Alysson are candidates to feature in the attacking positions.
The biggest uncertainty concerns the striker.
Tammy Abraham scored twice against Coventry in the previous round, although Emery could also give opportunities to Brian Madjo or Nicolas Jackson.
Villa have several confirmed injury problems.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Matteo Ruggeri is unavailable with a thigh problem.
Amadou Onana continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.
Modou Kéba Cissé has returned to training following a groin problem but remains a doubt.
Emery has enough alternatives to name a competitive side, although the final lineup could differ considerably from the team that beat City.
Bournemouth vs Aston Villa stats
- Bournemouth have won their last four matches in all competitions.
- The Cherries have kept four consecutive clean sheets during that run.
- Bournemouth have scored 11 goals in their last four fixtures.
- Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last seven matches, winning six and drawing one.
- Villa have scored 20 goals across those seven matches.
- Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Bournemouth, recording four wins and three draws.
- Bournemouth have been eliminated in their last four League Cup matches against fellow Premier League clubs.
- Villa have won 10 of their last 15 away matches in the League Cup, drawing three and losing two.
- Ryan Christie scored a hat-trick against Lincoln City in Bournemouth’s third-round victory.
- Tammy Abraham has seven goals and two assists in 11 career League Cup appearances.
Bournemouth vs Aston Villa prediction
There isn’t much separating these teams on current form.
Bournemouth have responded brilliantly to their difficult start to the Premier League campaign, and four consecutive clean sheets suggest Rose has addressed some of their earlier defensive problems.
Villa, meanwhile, have established themselves as one of the division’s most dangerous sides when they find their rhythm.
Emery’s men have beaten Manchester City and Newcastle in successive league matches, while also making progress in Europe.
The difficulty with Wednesday’s fixture is predicting how much each manager will rotate.
Both teams possess enough quality to progress, but Villa’s greater experience and strong recent record against Bournemouth could prove decisive.
I expect the Cherries to score, particularly if Emery makes widespread defensive changes.
However, Villa’s attacking options should create opportunities of their own.
It could be a tight contest, but I’m backing the visitors to edge their way into the quarter-finals.
Score prediction: Bournemouth 1-2 Aston Villa
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