Express & Star

Everton 0 Aston Villa 2 - Report

Ollie Watkins became the first Villa player since 1985 to score in five successive league matches as Unai Emery’s team halted their losing run at Everton.

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Watkins matched a feat last achieved by Paul Rideout when he blasted home a penalty to open the scoring just past the hour mark.

Substitute Emi Buendia then sealed the win when he finished off a fine team move nine minutes from time.

Tyrone Mings had earlier cleared off the line with the score at 0-0 but once Villa had gone in front, they saw out the win with relative ease.

Analysis

Victory moved Villa level on points with 10th placed Everton and ensured Unai Emery’s team can now look firmly up the table, rather than worry about what is going on below.

That looked an unlikely scenario at half-time after a Toffees team who had won both home matches under new Sean Dyche without conceding had the better of the opening half.

Mings then prevented Neal Maupay from making the breakthrough 10 minutes into the second period and it proved a crucial moment as Watkins, twice previously denied by Jordan Pickford, fired home from the spot after former Villa man Idrissa Gueye had brought down John McGinn.

Everton's Idrissa Gueye and Aston Villa's Leon Bailey battle for the ball

Villa, who had lost three matches on the bounce heading into the game, have now won four out of five away from home since Emery replaced Steven Gerrard as head coach and in Watkins, they have a player in excellent form.

Emery was already without Philippe Coutinho due to a muscle injury but took the perhaps surprising decision to drop his other playmaker, Buendia, to the bench.

Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey were the replacements with the boss also making a change at left-back, where Lucas Digne started against his former club in place of Alex Moreno.

Watkins to equal Rideout’s mark when he got behind Coady to meet Boubacar Kamara’s lofted pass. But Everton keeper was quickly off his line, forcing the striker to take the chance early and the shot bounced off the keeper’s legs and wide.

The home side were perhaps fortunate to keep a full complement of players on the pitch when Amadou Onana, booked in the second minute for catching Douglas Luiz late, was penalised for a very similar challenge on Leon Bailey. This time referee Anthony Taylor kept his cards in his pocket and Digne sent the free-kick over the bar.

Everton were too passive in the early stages but began to have more joy when they pressed Villa’s attempts to pass out from the back.

Everton's Amadou Onana heads at goal

Abdoulaye Doucoure pounced on one loose ball and beat both Luiz and Kamara before feeding Alex Iwobi, who saw his shot blocked behind. From the corner, Neal Maupay sent a glancing header wide of the far post.

Villa’s inefficiency in clearing their lines was becoming a problem and Martinez was called on for the first time when Onana rose above Konsa to meet Vitalii Mykolenko’s cross, the keeper pushing the header over the bar.

It was the Toffees on top and Villa were fortunate at Dwight McNeil’s lack of confidence in his right foot. In behind after running on to Iwobi’s pass, the winger opted to shift to his left rather than shoot before finding Maupay, who fired straight at Martinez.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez reacts after a collision

The French striker would get an even better chance 10 minutes into the second half. An Everton free-kick caused carnage in the Villa box as Iwobi’s shot, going well wide, hit Konsa on the floor to send the ball straight to Maupay, who could only manage a weak effort which Mings hacked off the line.

Villa hadn’t threatened since the early stages of the first half but from nowhere strung together their best move of the match to almost make the breakthrough. Ramsey released Digne down the left and his cross was met by Watkins, Pickford pushing the bouncing header onto the post before James Tarkowski hacked clear.

Three minutes later the visitors were ahead. Gueye’s challenge on McGinn was brave but despite getting some of the ball, he also got plenty of the man. Watkins, after a lengthy wait, blasted the kick high and down the middle.

Clearly brimming with confidence, the striker tried to catch Pickford out with an early taken shot from distance soon after, while Luiz also sent an effort flying over the bar.

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins celebrates

With nine minutes to go, Buendia doubled the advantage. Mings picked out Watkins with a ball forward and the striker immediately found McGinn, who had the option of returning the pass or finding Buendia. He chose the latter and the playmaker turned outside Conor Coady before lashing a finish inside Pickford’s near post for his fourth Premier League goal of the season – and second against the Toffees after also netting in August’s reverse fixture.

Key Moments

63 GOAL Villa take the lead as Idrissa Gueye pulls down John McGinn and Ollie Watkins blasts home from the penalty spot.

81 GOAL Emi Buendia lashes a shot inside Jordan Pickford’s near post to finish a fine team move and double Villa’s lead.

Teams

Everton (4-5-1): Pickford, Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Iwobi (Gray 70), Gueye, Doucoure, Onana, McNeil, Maupay (Simms 76) Subs not used: Holgate, Keane, Mina, Godfrey, Davies, Vinagre, Begovic (gk).

Villa (4-4-2): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne (Buendia 61), McGinn, Luiz, Kamara, Ramsey, Bailey (Moreno 61), Watkins Subs not used: Traore, Chambers, Young, Duran, Dendoncker, Zych (gk), Sinisalo (gk).