Everton 0-1 Aston Villa

Emi Buendía’s header saw Aston Villa overcome a feisty Everton side at Goodison Park.

The Argentine glanced an effort into the far corner in first half stoppage time as the visitors dominated the opening 45 minutes.

After the break, the Toffees upped their game and went close on a number of occasions, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin spurning their best chance from six yards out.

But Villa held on to record their first win in four Premier League games and a first top-flight double over Everton since the 2000/01 season.

After helping to inspire last weekend’s rousing comeback against Manchester United, Philippe Coutinho was selected from the start alongside the returning John McGinn as Steven Gerrard made two changes.

A lively start to the game, powered by a passionate support for the Toffees’ caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson, saw tackles flying in from both sides, with one foul resulting in Douglas Luiz dipping a free-kick just over the crossbar.

Fresh from an Argentina call-up, Buendía was finding pockets of space between the lines and driving at the hosts’ back four, calling Jordan Pickford into action for the first time with a low drive.

Everton, who came in with one win in their previous 12 top-flight games, had offered little going forward until the 28^th minute when last man Lucas Digne slipped near the halfway line.

Abdoulaye Doucoure nicked possession and galloped forward alongside Calvert-Lewin. Jacob Ramsey was the only claret shirt in close proximity, but an overhit pass from Doucoure to his teammate allowed Emi Martinez to clear up.

Villa’s best chance of the game followed shortly after when Ollie Watkins did superbly to control Tyrone Mings’ long pass in the box, spinning and prodding wide under pressure from Pickford.

With the game deep in first half stoppage time, the visitors found a way to goal through a Buendía header. The playmaker guided Digne’s corner across goal and in at the far post, with a touch from Pickford taking it over a covering defender.

Ferguson made a couple of changes in the opening ten minutes of the second half as he looked to spark his side into life, and it seemed to be working when Richarlison flashed a header over the bar just before the hour mark.

Pressure from the home side began to mount, and when they attacked from a corner Villa had Mings to thank for clearing Ben Godfrey’s header off the line.

Calvert-Lewin was next to go close, sliding in and poking Anthony Gordon’s whipped cross over the bar from six yards out.

The play was almost exclusively in Villa’s half as the match ticked into the final 20 minutes, and the home side saw another two headed efforts, both from Yerry Mina, fly wide.

Carney Chukwuemeka, Danny Ings and Kortney Hause were introduced as Steven Gerrard successfully wrestled back some control of the game, with Everton struggling to assert themselves in the final ten minutes. 

And when a corner was navigated safely with the last kick of the game, the Villa head coach was left to savour three points at the full-time whistle.