Aston Villa 2 Everton 0 - Report and pictures

So too is Wesley, the club’s record £22million signing, who opened his account with the only goal of the match to set Dean Smith’s men on course for victory over Everton.

The Brazilian striker fired home in the 21st minute as Villa became the first team to breach the Toffees stubborn defence this term.

From there, Smith’s men saw out the win with a performance which contained plenty of the potential seen in defeats to Tottenham and Bournemouth but none of the mistakes which proved so costly in those matches.

Villa instead showed the fortitude to withstand plenty of pressure from a visiting team possessing no little quality, before Anwar El Ghazi eventually made the result safe deep into stoppage time.

It was Villa's first Premier League win since February, 2016.

In addition to Wesley, who answered his critics with a fine individual display, there was also a strong performances from Jota, with the Spanish winger setting up the opener after being handed a first start.

At the back, meanwhile, Bjorn Engels once again shone. As did his defensive partner Tyrone Mings, with England boss Gareth Southgate watching on from the stands.

Jota was one of two changes to the team beaten by Bournemouth last weekend. There was also a somewhat surprise debut for Guilbert, who had not featured in the first two matchday squads. Anwar El Ghazi joining Ahmed Elmohamady in dropping to the bench.

There was no shortage of noise inside Villa Park at kick-off and the volume remained during a frenetic opening, even if clear-cut chances remained thin on the ground before Wesley’s opener.

Mings had caused some concern when he required treatment during the warm-up and the centre-back was rarely out of the match in the opening minutes.

He needed more treatment inside the first five minutes after being clattered by Villa keeper Tom Heaton after both tried to contest the same aerial ball.

A far more painful coming together then took place when Mings caught Bjorn Engels in the head while attempting a clearance. His clearly dazed team-mate lay on the ground while by being assessed and was eventually given the OK to continue.

Mings’s level of involvement was an indication that Villa were doing most of the defending, though the visitors were struggling to create clear openings with a Richarlison shot, deflected well wide, their only real effort on goal despite dominating possession.

Instead, it was Villa who struck, thanks to quick-thinking from Jack Grealish and then excellent skill from Jota and Wesley.

Villa’s skipper was brought down in his own half but took the free-kick quickly to Guilbert. From there the ball was moved to Jota on the right flank, the Spaniard taking a moment to assess his options before playing a perfectly weighted and placed through ball past three defenders and into the path of Wesley, who sent a first-time finish beyond Jordan Pickford.

The Brazilian striker, upon whom there has been so much scrutiny, leapt in the air in front of the North Stand in celebration.

Three minutes he nearly had two, Jota again supplying the perfect through pass but this time Yerry Mina was able to block Wesley’s shot.

Villa had their tails up, though Everton remained very much in the match and Dominic Calvert-Lewin should really have levelled instead of hitting a finish straight at Engels, after being teed up perfectly by Bernard eight yards out.

Yet it was the hosts, as half-time came and went, who seemed to be getting stronger, their refusal to give an inch summed up by Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz blasting the ball high into the crowd to cut out an Everton counter.

The visitors introduced summer signings Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi off the bench just past the hour mark, with the latter in particular helping them exert some serious and sustained pressure on the Villa.

Still the home defence held firm, Engels sticking out a foot to block Iwobi’s shot, while Morgan Schneiderlin lifted a shot over the bar from just outside the box.

Everton came the closest yet as the clock ticked over 80 minutes, Iwobi sending a low shot thudding against the base of the post after Villa failed to clear their lines.

El Ghazi, who had replaced Jota off the bench, then forced Pickford into a flying save with a fierce 25-yard effort.

Silva’s final throw of the dice came in the shape of Theo Walcott and the winger should have earned his team a share of the spoils but volleyed over from eight yards out in the 90th minute.

In the fifth minute of added time, El Ghazi finished it, racing on to McGinn’s pass and sliding the ball under Pickford.

Teams

Villa (4-3-3): Heaton, Guilbert, Engels, Mings, Taylor, McGinn, Luiz, Grealish, Trezeguet (Elmohamady 86), Wesley, Jota (El Ghazi 77) Subs not used: Lansbury, Hourihane, Konsa, Davis, Steer (gk).

Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford, Coleman ©, Keane, Mina, Digne, Gomes, Schneiderlin, Richarlison (Walcott 77), Sigurdsson (Iwobi 62), Bernard (Kean 62), Calvert-Lewin Subs not used: Holgate, Sidibe, Davies, Stekelenburg (gk).