Paul Lambert called Carles Gil’s first Aston Villa goal "world class" as the Spaniard’s stunning strike against Bournemouth helped the Premier League side into The FA Cup Fifth Round.
Lambert dived into the transfer market early in the January window to snap up the little playmaker from Valencia, and his manager clearly felt his faith in the 22-year-old had been repaid following a virtuoso second-half display.
Lambert said: “The first goal was world class from a real talent.
Aston Villa 2-1 Bournemouth
The FA Cup
Fourth Round Proper
Sunday 25 January
Villa Park
Winning club will receive £90,000 from prize fund
“He is 22 years of age and he has only been here just over a week but he will get better and better.
“He’s a big big talent that’s for sure.”
Villa’s last goal prior to this Cup tie came three weeks ago in the Third Round against Blackpool.
However Lambert was adamant his side’s lack of goals has not given him sleepless nights and says he always had faith his attackers would come good.
He added: “I don’t fret over anything because I know the type of lads I have got in the team and I know they can score.
“They’ve had a hard time and been criticised a lot but I think they deserve an awful lot of credit for the way they played today.”
A Villa victory, however, looked thoroughly unlikely during a first half which Bournemouth largely dominated.
The Championship leaders came out of the traps quickly and showed their intentions by testing Shay Given with a couple of early long-range efforts.
However it was Villa who created the first chance of any significance. Andreas Weimann was left with his head in his hands as his free header from Alan Hutton’s superb cross flew a whisker wide of Lee Camp’s left-hand post.
See the goals at Villa Park with our highlights package
Villa fans might have hoped that was a signal of things to come, but in truth, that was the highlight for the home side in the first half as Bournemouth took control
On 19 minutes Shaun MacDonald raced through onto Harry Arter’s pass and rounded Shay Given, but with the 6,000 Bournemouth fans on their feet Kieran Richardson cleared off the line.
Eunan O’Kane, who was a menace throughout the first period, then forced a brilliant low save from Given before turning provider for Yann Kermorgant 10 minutes later, only to see the Frenchman denied by a brilliant last-ditch Jores Okore challenge.
Lambert must have been unimpressed by his side’s lacklustre first-half showing but whatever he said to them at the break seemed to work wonders as they started the second with renewed vigour - and the Villa boss praised the response of his players after the match.
He said: “Second half we were a lot better and we dominated the game.
“You see the results yesterday, a lot of Premier League teams went out but we are through and we have got a chance.”
Early in the second half Christian Benteke led the Cherries defence a merry dance across the edge of the penalty area before feeding Gil who ruffled the side netting. However, that was to be a mere sighter for the new boy.
With his very next touch Gil stepped inside to the corner of the penalty area and marked his full debut with a finish so sublime no-one inside Villa Park was left in any doubt as to why Lambert was so keen to recruit him.
That goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of Bournemouth, who sent on top scorer Callum Wilson, but despite some huff and puff they never truly looked like blowing the Villa house down and it was little surprise when the home side doubled their lead.
Hutton had been a constant threat down the right, and another surging run and cross set up a chance for Weimann who made up for his earlier miss by slotting home.
Bournemouth did pull a goal back deep into added time as Wilson flicked home Adam Smith’s cross from a couple of yards to give the visitors hope, but it was too little too late.
The afternoon belonged to Gil who rightly received rapturous applause from all four sides of Villa Park as he departed the pitch with three minutes to play.
Aston Villa (4-1-4-1): 31 Shay Given; 21 Alan Hutton, 6 Ciaran Clark (C), 5 Jores Okore, 18 Kieran Richardson; 24 Carlos Sanchez; 7 Leandro Bacuna, 8 Tom Cleverley, 25 Carles Gil, 10 Andreas Weimann; 20 Christian Benteke.
Substitutes: 15 Ashley Westwood for Gil 87
Subs not used: 1 Brad Guzan, 2 Nathan Baker, 23 Aly Cissokho, 24 Matt Lowton, 38 Graham Burke, 40 Jack Grealish.
Goal: Gil 51, Weimann 71.
Bookings: Hutton, Okore, Bacuna.
Bournemouth (4-5-1): 1 Lee Camp; 15 Adam Smith, 5 Tommy Elphick (C), 3 Steve Cook, 14 Ian Harte; 19 Junior Stanislas, 16 Shaun MacDonald, 32 Eunan O’Kane, 8 Harry Arter, 20 Ryan Fraser; 18 Yann Kermorgant.
Substitutes: 13 Callum Wilson for Kermorgant 60, 2 Simon Francis for Harte 60; 30 Matt Ritchie for Stanislas 79.
Subs not used: 31 Artur Boruc, 6 Andrew Surman, 10 Brett Pitman, 22 Elliott Ward.
Goals: Wilson 90.
Referee: Mike Dean.
Attendance: 27,415.
