After Manchester City's defeat to United in the city derby, Aston Villa had a golden opportunity to pull ahead of the Citizens with a win over Everton. However, Unai Emery's side stumbled at home, and a cheap error from Pau Torres allowed the Toffees to snatch all three points and take them back to Liverpool.
David Moyes' team almost scored in the very first minute, but Merlin Roki's shot, following Jordan Pickford's clearance, only struck the left post.
Following that early Everton attempt, there were no further significant chances in the first half. The most notable event of this period, which also impacted the rest of the match, was James McGinn's injury, forcing him to leave the field in the 18th minute.
The first goal of the match finally arrived in the 59th minute when Tjerno Bari pounced on a rebound from Dwight McNeil's shot, giving Everton the lead. Although Emiliano Martinez made a cat-like save from McNeil's initial strike, the ball deflected directly to Bari, who easily lobbed the Argentine goalkeeper. Pau Torres can be largely blamed for Bari's goal, as his miscontrol before McNeil's shot allowed the Everton player to unleash his effort.
Villa, as expected, then launched an assault on Everton's goal. Morgan Rogers was at the heart of their efforts, creating several excellent opportunities, but Jordan Pickford thwarted every one. The best chance came in the 73rd minute when Rogers unleashed a powerful long-range shot, only for Pickford to make a spectacular save, tipping the ball over the bar.
Aston Villa's relentless pressure continued until the end of the match, but Everton defended with incredible discipline, earning them a deserved victory. Towards the end, Villa's players seemed to be affected by fatigue and nerves, which appeared to paralyze their efforts to find an equalizer.
Following this defeat, Aston Villa remains in third place in the Premier League with 43 points, level with Manchester City. Everton, on the other hand, sits in 10th position with 32 points.
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