Everton threw away another two-goal lead, a capitulation punctuated by a Jhon Duran goal of the season candidate in Aston Villa’s 3-2 win at Villa Park on Saturday.
The Toffees thought they’d not just collect their first point of the season but their first three, as Dwight McNeil scored and set up Dominic Calvert-Lewin for another in building a 2-0 lead away from home.
Yet just like last week versus Bournemouth, the Toffees conceded three times and wound up in disbelief that their wobbly defense has given up 13 goals in four matches this Premier League season.
Unai Emery’s Villans climb back into the top four with a win, their third to go with a loss to Arsenal. Ollie Watkins got his first two goals of the season to level the score line before Duran’s magnificent finish delivered all three points to Villa.
Confusion reigns at Everton
Sean Dyche will be hoping Everton’s woes are as simple as getting star center back Jarrad Branthwaite back in the fold, but there has to be so much more happening to have the Toffees on the wrong side of history. Clubs go entire seasons without losing a game in which they lead by two but Everton have now done it in Week 3 and Week 4. This is a messy situation where the side has done enough to win games at one end yet cannot even lean on that fact because it’s missing chances to increase leads to 3-0 or 4-0. Bournemouth felt it stole a result in Week 3 with its comeback, that it was dominated by Everton for long stretches, but Aston Villa will feel it just kept working to get a win backed by superiority. That’s troubling, and who knows the answer other than Dominic Calvert-Lewin finding the form of his one season as an elite finisher.
Aston Villa vs Everton player ratings
(from fotmob.com)
Aston Villa vs Everton player ratings (from fotmob.com)
Aston Villa vs Everton player ratings (from fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Everton host Southampton in the League Cup third round on Tuesday, then head to Leicester City for a big Premier League match at 10am ET Saturday.
Aston Villa go to Switzerland to restart life in the UEFA Champions League with a 12:45pm ET Tuesday kickoff at Young Boys. They’ll get a visit from Wolves when they return to the Premier League at 10am Saturday.
How to watch Aston Villa vs Everton live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 12:30 pm ET Saturday (September 14)
Venue: Villa Park
TV Channel: NBC
Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com
Aston Villa vs Everton live updates — By Nick Mendola
Aston Villa vs Everton final score: 3-2
Dwight McNeil 16', Dominic Calvert-Lewin 27', Ollie Watkins 36', 58', Jhon Duran 76'
Incredible from Jhon Duran! — Aston Villa 3-2 Everton (76th minute)
Duran, barely into the game, takes a touch of a lay-off from 30 yards and just bangs a scintillating outside-of-the-foot shot into the upper 90.
How do they get this guy and Watkins on the field at the same time because wow.
This is goal of the year quality.
Toffees again throw away their 2-0 lead — Aston Villa 2-2 Everton (58th minute)
Ollie Watkins again.
Youri Tielemans sends an entry pass over the top of the Everton back line, and Jack Harrison tries to poke it away.
Instead it’s right to Watkins, who doesn’t miss often from the center of the box.
Huge let-off for Villans
Moments after a big Jordan Pickford save kept Everton’s lead in tact, Villa get a huge break to keep their deficit one.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has a long breakaway toward goal. Martinez comes out to meet him but Calvert-Lewin takes so long to decide on how to shoot that the ball is pushed off his foot and wide of goal by Ezri Konsa.
What’s he thinking? It should be 3-1, even with Martinez the keeper in question.
Halftime — Aston Villa 1-2 Everton
Villa have been a bit wasteful and Dwight McNeil has been the difference for the visitors.
The Villans have taken seven of the game’s 10 shots and put five on target, but only Ollie Watkins has beaten Jordan Pickford.
McNeil was the entirety of Everton’s opener, then set up Calvert-Lewin’s then-insurance goal.
Villa have had 78% of the ball, and Sean Dyche really should try to find another goal rather than shut up shop because the full-strength Villans are buzzing.
It’s not that straight-forward, though, is it?
Ollie Watkins goal — Aston Villa 1-2 Everton (36th minute)
Villa pull one back, as Lucas Digne’s splendid lofted cross is met by Ollie Watkins for a headed finish.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin goal — Aston Villa 0-2 Everton (27th minute)
McNeil turns provider with a terrific powered cross that Dominic Calvert-Lewin turns past Martinez.
2-0, who would’ve thought?!
Dwight McNeil out of nothing! Aston Villa 0-1 Everton (16th minute)
Amadou Onana, the expensive Villa purchase from Everton, is limping after this, but how much of it is pride?
Dwight McNeil wrestles the ball off of Onana and drives toward Emiliano Martinez’s box, dragging a shot across goal and inside the far post.
The Toffees lead at Villa Park!
Villa fly out the traps
Ollie Watkins has a header blocked on the line by Iliman Ndiaye, as Villa are all over the visitors.
Morgan Rogers laces a 10th-minute shot toward goal but it bounds right to Jordan Pickford.
Aston Villa vs Everton team news
Mangala and Doucoure are on the bench for Everton at Villa Park, and the Toffees do not get the benefit of Unai Emery prioritizing Europe. This is a full-strength Villa, more or less.
Aston Villa lineup
Martinez, Bogarde, Konsa, Torres, Digne, McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Rogers, Ramsey, Watkins
Everton lineup
Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Iroegbunam, Gana Gueye, Ndiaye, McNeil, Harrison, Calvert-Lewin
Aston Villa focus, team news
OUT: Boubacar Kamara (knee), Tyrone Mings (knee), Matty Cash (thigh), Diego Carlos (undisclosed) | QUESTIONABLE: Jaden Philogene (undisclosed), Leon Bailey (thigh)
Everton focus, team news
OUT: Jarrad Branthwaite (groin), Nathan Patterson (thigh), Armando Broja (calf), Youssef Chermiti (ankle) | QUESTIONABLE: Seamus Coleman (calf)
Aston Villa vs Everton prediction
Everton don’t look like a Sean Dyche team right now, as they’re completely disorganized defensively and shipping goals at an alarming rate. Ollie Watkins has been wasteful with chances early on, but he’ll have a handful to pick from in this one and get his first one (or two) of the campaign. Aston Villa 2-0 Everton.