Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola says his side will have to match the levels they showed against Arsenal when they face Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Cherries are coming off the back of an impressive 2-0 win against the Gunners, which took them up to 11th in the Premier League table.
Unai Emery’s Villa are fresh off a 2-0 victory of their own, beating Bologna in the Champions League in midweek.
The Cherries only claimed one point from six against The Villans last season, despite taking the lead in both games.
Iraola knows how much of a threat tomorrow’s opposition can pose to his side.
He said: “They’re playing very well, they’re on a great run of performances and results.
“They have almost everyone available, for sure they will be very dangerous.”
Villa are unbeaten in five games in all competitions at home, and Iraola knows his side must be at their best to upset the odds.
“We need to be at the same level that we were against Arsenal, or better, to take something from the game,” Iraola said.
“I expect the best version of Villa, and we also have to be very close to our best if we want to have a chance.
“Both games last season were open games, and I expect the same tomorrow.”
After an impressive performance at the weekend, midfielder Alex Scott is unavailable for Saturday’s game, and will be out for a prolonged period of time.
Iraola said: “It’s always a bad moment, especially after a very good performance.
“He was feeling pain on the knee in training, the MRI saw a tear in the meniscus, he will be out for more than six weeks.
“He will be a big loss; he gives us quality on the ball, to carry the ball by himself and defensively he’s improving a lot.”
The Cherries will also be without Luis Sinisterra for the trip to Birmingham, after the winger picked up a knock against Arsenal.
Iraola has admitted his side have been fortunate to avoid an injury pile-up in the early stages of the season.
He said: “We have been quite lucky until now with injuries. It will be a chance for other players to help us.”
Saturday’s game is the second of three on the bounce against top six opposition for the Cherries, but Iraola believes it isn’t helpful having the fixtures all at once.
Iraola said: “You don’t want to have them in a row, you have to be ready to suffer, you are going to be doing a lot of defending.”
The Cherries have only conceded ten goals this season, that’s eight less than this this time last season.
Iraola has been pleased with how good his side have been defensively, he said: “We are defending quite well, not conceding a lot of chances.
“I hope we can continue, we will face very difficult teams, and we will need everyone to be at their best.”
Kick off at Villa Park is 3pm.