Having conceded five goals on the opening day of the season for the first time in over 70 years last weekend, Aston Villa needed an immediate response and it arrived after 18 minutes when John McGinn swept home from close range, with Villa Park erupting in celebration after the Scottish international’s opener.
With the crowd now firmly behind them, Emery’s side continued to push on and their pressure presented another opportunity to snatch a goal when a moment of madness from Jordan Pickford saw the Everton goalkeeper bundle Ollie Watkins to the floor inside the penalty area. A clear penalty.
Pickford was unable to amend his errors, as Douglas Luiz tucked home a confident spot kick to give the home side a comfortable lead.
Pickford would prove his worth for Sean Dyche’s men just before the break, with the England number-one pushing a wicked Moussa Diaby shot onto the post. The late reprieve did spur the visitors into action, with Pickford’s counterpart, Emiliano Martinez, made to work at the opposite end.
The travelling Everton faithful would’ve been hoping the interval brought about a change of fortunes for the luck-stricken Toffees, but just when they were starting to grow into the contest, a Leon Bailey strike all but put the game to bed. It arrived following yet more defensive mishaps in the Everton backline, with the Jamaican forward firing home from inside the penalty area.
The disorganised approach at the back showed no sign of letting up as the match ticked towards its conclusion, with another mistake gifting the Villans a fourth goal. Ashley Young’s wayward throw allowed Jhon Duran to sneak in and steal the ball away from Michael Keane’s foot, with the substitute striker sliding a composed finish underneath the onrushing Pickford.
Perhaps indicative of Everton’s current state of affairs, this is the first time in the 211 meetings between the pair that any side has won five consecutive matches against the other. A mess both on and off the pitch, Dyche has a race against time to add quality to his squad before the September 1st transfer deadline.
As for Aston Villa, they’ll take confidence from the fact they’ve recovered the goal difference deficit caused by the Newcastle United defeat, with all eyes now on Thursday’s UEFA Europa Conference League clash with Hibernian.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Leon Bailey (Aston Villa)
Check out the match stats here
