Rayan opens Bournemouth account to secure draw at home to Aston Villa
Morgan Rogers had put Villa ahead after 22 minutes.
Rayan’s first goal in English football ensured Bournemouth split the points with Aston Villa in an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
Morgan Rogers opened the scoring for the visitors against the run of play in the 22nd minute, and while the Cherries outshot Villa 13-2 in the first half – five of them on target – they could not capitalise on their chances before the break.
Rayan came close, clipping the crossbar in the first half before opening his Cherries account 10 minutes into the second.
Villa boss Unai Emery benefitted from a big afternoon from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who made four first-half saves and another three after the break.
The visitors started on the front foot but it was Bournemouth who enjoyed the first real chance when the unmarked Alex Scott latched on to a loose ball from a central position and took a few paces forward.
However, his seventh-minute shot was critically blocked by Amadou Onana, who then intervened on a Junior Kroupi effort as the Cherries started to heat up.
It took a double save by Martinez to deny Kroupi, then the diving Evanilson, who tried to nod home after the Villa keeper spilled the initial save.
Bournemouth played an 18th-minute free-kick short and Kroupi threatened again, this time with a low effort just wide of the right post.
The visitors had scarcely ventured into the Cherries final third until Rogers, cleverly teed up by the patient Jadon Sancho, made a rare chance count, powering a shot past the hapless Djordje Petrovic at his near post.
The hosts were plagued by their failure to find the finishing touch as Scott dragged another effort wide, then stung the palms of Martinez, who prevented Evanilson equalising from the follow-up.
Rayan came closer still, clipping the crossbar after favourably finding himself in the path of Rogers’ misdirected clearance from the resulting corner, before Petrovic saved an Emiliano Buendia effort, ensuring the first-half damage against the hosts would be limited to just the opener.
The Cherries keeper was called back into action to deny a soft Ollie Watkins effort after the break before Rayan, who had just watched a deflected cross land in the hands of Martinez, drew the sides level.
The 19-year-old calmly received James Hill’s delivery close to the right touchline before cutting into the area, expertly dancing his way between white shirts before beating the diving Martinez at his near post from just outside the six-yard box.
Kroupi had the ball in the back of the net moments later, quickly chalked off by VAR for offside, and Petrovic produced a fingertip save to prevent Matty Cash from firing Villa in front just after the hour.
Another appeal to VAR then ruled out a potential Bournemouth penalty, determining the moment Ezri Konsa tripped up Scott had occurred outside the area.
Martinez produced another mammoth save to tip over a sharp effort from substitute Ryan Christie in the 79th minute, then denied Kroupi’s replacement again when he tried to volley home an 88th-minute winner.
