Everton’s hopes of a revival under new manager David Moyes suffered a blow on Wednesday as they were defeated 1-0 at home by Aston Villa. The loss leaves Everton struggling in the middle of the Premier League table, while Villa moves closer to the top four, only three points behind the Champions League spots.
David Moyes, who is back at the helm of Everton after an 11-year stint from 2002 to 2013, had hoped to inspire a better performance from his struggling side. However, it was Ollie Watkins who stole the show with a decisive second-half goal.
The striker found the back of the net just six minutes into the second half, capitalizing on a well-executed through ball from Morgan Rogers. His strike sent the Villa fans into celebration as it marked his ninth goal of the season.
Despite Moyes’ familiar presence on the sidelines, his team struggled to produce any meaningful offensive play. Everton, who have struggled for goals this season, managed only seven goals from open play in the entire campaign, the lowest in the league.
Their lack of creativity and finishing ability was evident once again, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin unable to find the net. The striker, once in contention for a backup role with the England national team, hasn’t scored since the last meeting between these two sides in September.
His best chance came in first-half stoppage time, when a shot from him was cleared off the line by Villa’s Boubacar Kamara.
Moyes recognized the challenge ahead of him as he aims to keep Everton in the Premier League. Reflecting on the loss, he said, “I’ve got no illusions of the job I’ve to do. We couldn’t score a goal tonight again. We’ve got to show an awful lot more quality on the ball.”
While Villa controlled much of the match, Everton fans were vocal in their frustration, especially after Amadou Onana escaped a second yellow card for a foul on Orel Mangala.
Despite Everton’s late pressure, including a missed opportunity by Calvert-Lewin in stoppage time, Villa held firm and secured their first clean sheet in 12 away games.
Villa’s manager Unai Emery praised his team for breaking their poor away run. “Away, we were in a bad spell and had to break it,” said Emery after the match.
His side’s solid performance moved them up to seventh in the standings, as they continue to push for a spot in next season’s Champions League.
