After 11 consecutive home victories across all competitions, Aston Villa finally had to bow down to Everton. The Toffees secured a 1-0 win at Villa Park, courtesy of a 59th-minute goal from Thierno Barry. David Moyes' side delivered an excellent performance, hitting the post in the very first minute, and even had a Jake O'Brien goal disallowed. Meanwhile, the Birmingham side struck the woodwork twice in the first half through Morgan Rogers and Evan Gesson.
Unai Emery's team showed why it's unrealistic to consider them title contenders. They had an opportunity to close the gap to league leaders Arsenal to four points but remain seven points adrift. Everton, on the other hand, sits in tenth place, yet only four points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.
The match kicked off at a blistering pace, with the visitors nearly scoring in the 11th second. Barry flicked the ball to Roel, whose shot struck Martinez's right post. It took the Birmingham side a little time to settle, but they too began to create chances. A shot from Rogers from a good position sailed over the bar, and later he drove into the box but delayed his shot. The hosts increased the pressure but suffered an early blow, losing their captain John McGinn, who was forced off in the 18th minute.
McGinn's injury seemed to disrupt Villa's rhythm. Everton had an opportunity in the 22nd minute when Grealish volleyed from a corner, but an opposing player blocked it with his body. After half an hour, Gesson was expertly played through by Tielemans but produced a weak shot. Shortly after, Martinez had to deal with a shot from Mykolenko. From the ensuing corner, the Toffees scored with a header from Jake O'Brien, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Armstrong, with the judgment being that he was interfering with play.
Emery's side responded with two shots from Morgan Rogers. In the 36th minute, he received the ball after a brilliant run by Maatsen but couldn't capitalize as his shot was blocked. Seconds later, Rogers shot again, and this time Pickford saved his effort. A header from Gesson struck the crossbar in the 41st minute, with Pickford not reacting, believing the ball would go over the goal.
Goal-scoring opportunities were scarcer in the second half. A header from Tielemans went wide, but Villa struggled to threaten the opposition's goal. In the 59th minute, Everton took the lead following an error by Pau Torres. The Spaniard reacted poorly to a pass from Konsa; the ball deflected off his leg to McNeill, who took a shot. Martinez saved it, but not in the best way, and the ball fell to Barry, who expertly lifted it over him.
The Birmingham side reacted and pushed forward more aggressively, with Rogers continuing to unleash shots. In the 69th minute, he was again found perfectly in the box, but his shot lacked conviction, and seconds later, he sent the ball high over the bar. Morgan's next shot was far better, but this time Pickford made a brilliant save. After this situation, Aston Villa continued to attack, but the Toffees' defense performed admirably, frustrating their opponents. In added time, the hosts had another good opportunity, but a header from Buendia was off target.