AFC Bournemouth vs Aston Villa - Carabao Cup

AFC Bournemouth host Aston Villa at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday 29 October for a Carabao Cup fourth round tie. It's a knockout match, so the winner goes through to the quarter-finals and the loser is out. The date is part of the week commencing Monday 26 October, with the exact kick-off time still to be confirmed.

Bournemouth are in the middle of what the club calls the most exciting season in its history. They finished sixth in 2025/26, their highest league placing ever, and secured European football for the first time. There's been a change in the dugout too: Andoni Iraola left for Liverpool, and Marco Rose has taken over. The Cherries reached this round with a 4-0 home win over Lincoln City.

Villa arrive as the UEFA Europa League holders, still managed by Unai Emery. They made it here with a 3-1 away win at Coventry City. It's a big name coming to town, and with a place in the quarter-finals on the line, there's plenty to play for.

The match is at the Vitality Stadium, formerly Dean Court, which has been the club's home since 1910. It's the smallest ground in the Premier League, with a capacity of around 11,300 after it was completely rebuilt in 2001 — a job that involved rotating the pitch ninety degrees. It's being redeveloped in phases, with a new south stand already under way and a long-term goal of expanding capacity towards 20,000 without closing the stadium. The ground has also hosted several England Under-21 internationals and England women's national team matches. The stadium is at Kings Park, Bournemouth, BH7 7AF.