Everton achieved the impossible, squandering another 2-goal lead they had built up to shock Aston Villa, only to progressively collapse, with huge opportunities to win the game squandered by Calvert-Lewin.
It’s been noticed that Sean Dyche’s teams don’t make good starts to the season, and this time is no different, with three losses and no points on the board, the manager taking heat for not playing his new arrivals who are deemed “not Premier League ready”, and for his deeply ingrained predilection for not using enough substitutions early enough to influence games.
Dyche’s choices continue to be compromised by injuries, with Seamus Coleman added to the list thanks to his efforts for Ireland last week, where he joins Branthwaite, Patterson and Chermiti, with no word at all about Dele Alli, who was supposed to benefit from arranged match time behind closed doors during the International break.
Dyche goes somewhat predictably with not one Ashely Young at right-back, with Garner and Dixon on the bench. Magala, O’Brien and Lindstrøm are presumably still not Premier League ready.
For the home side, former Everton stars Lucas Digne and Amadou Onana start, with Ross Barkley on the bench as Villa kicked off, with Everton in the off-white and charcoal third strip.
Everton tried to gain possession but Gana ended up fouling his man, and Villa proceeded to knock it about. McNeil did well to get some possession but drove himself into touch. The pattern continued, with Villa in early control, and Everton soon surrendering the ball if they won it back.
Tielemans got in close to win a corner that was cleared. McGinn’s shot was blocked behind for another corner, a superb delivery that Watkins saw cleared off the line by Ndiaye. Rogers was next with a lame potshot at Pickford.
Digne then overlapped past Young and crossed well for Watkins to spoon his shot wide. Everton almost got forward only for Calvert-Lewin to give the ball up far too easily again, and return to the back foot. Ndiaye was given an utterly stupid yellow card for kicking the ball away.
But out of nothing, Dwight McNeil won a challenge with Onana and drove forward with a speculative shot from distance that amazingly crept in at the far post! Fantastic finish!!!
Iroegbunam went too close to Onana with a high boot and he saw yellow. Ndiaye chased down a long Pickford punt but could not beat his man as Spirit of the Blues rang out from the travelling Blue Army.
Calvert-Lewin did well to get a long punt back to McNeil, only to be flagged offside for his troubles. But Mykolenko wanted attention. Harrison won a freekick off Digne as Garner replaced Mykolenko, Young switching to left-back. From the free-kick, a wonderful ball swung in by McNeil was expertly glanced home by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who had done exceptionally well to stay onside.
And in an instant, the game took on a whole different complexion. Even Watkins driving forward could do nothing against Tarkowski. Rogers was next but his shot was easy meat for Pickford to collect.
A deep free-kick from Pickford saw Villa break but Tarkowski was there. End-to-end stuff ensued. Calvert-Lewin did some great held-up work but the ball was back with Villa far too soon and Digne overlapped Garner this time, crossing to Watkins who had a simple job to nod past Pickford off Keane and into the Everton net. Keane should really have got to it before Watkins?
The ball was delivered up to Calvert-Lewin but he could not fashion a strike on target. Villa attacked again, Gana fouling Ramsey. Tielemans’s free-kick was kept away. Iroegbunam tried to break up the Villa play but Calvert-Lewin gave possession back and Rgers got in behind, but could not control the through ball.
At the other end, Ndiaye almost got the ball in to Calvert-Lewin, winning a corner as 7 minutes of stoppage time were added, but no-one could get on the corner and McNeil was offside in the second phase.
Calvert-Lewin was fouled in the centre circle, but he could not control the long punt forward. Harrison did well to contain Digne this time, preventing the cross and drawing the foul. But Everton just could not retain possession. It was shocking at times how careless the play was.
A free-kick was punted up to Calvert-Lewin but he could not produce anything from it as the half-time whistle finally sounded with the Blues ahead at the break.
Unai Emery exchanged one ex-Everton player for another — Barkley on for Onana — as McNeil kicked off the second half. It was nice to see Barkley’s first pass to Digne roll past him and out of play. Keane did well to stop Watkins winning a ball over the top but Villa kept pushing forward.
Slow build-up saw Rodgers denied by Pickford then Watkins’s shot blocked by Garner when it looked very much like Villa would equalize. Pickford came out to head a deep clearance away but his return up to Calvert-Lewin bounced off the Everton man.
Yong fed a good ball up to Calvert-Lewin but it enede up back in the Everton half when Calvert-Lewin was released and had far too much time to beat Martinez, allowing a defender to knock the ball behind for a corner that then came to nothing.. What utterly abysmally centre-forward play from Calvert-Lewin, at his very worst.
But at least Everton were making a fist of this and getting a decent amount of the ball… they just looked so poor when it came to doing anything constructive with it. Calvert-Lewin was again released by a great Tarkowski ball and again he showed how pathetic he could be, passing back straight to a Villa player.
And the punishment was swift, Watkins lashing a dreadful interception by Harrison past Pickford after it came to him on a plate.
Everton should have beeen 4-2 up on the strength of a Calvert-Lewin hattrick but it was now backs to the wall as Villa threw everything forward in their quest for a winner, with Everton’s nervy self-confidence at rock-bottom.
Rodgers got behind the Everton defence for what would surely be another goal but somehow the cross evaded Watkins as Dyche made two remarkable early substitutions, O’Brien and Managla introduced. And O’Brein’s first task was to brush Watkins aside. But Everton could not clear their lines as Villa piled on the pressure. Watkins won a corner off Young that came to nothing.
A free-kick for a foul on Ireogbunam was finally crossed in for Keane to head softly at Martinez. Maatsen did well to get a ball back for Watkins who put his shot inches past the post when it looked far too easy for him to score.
Everton got forward from a goal kick, McNeil crossing but inches away from Calvert-Lewin being able to convert it. That was a rare foray upfield and the Villa onslaught resumed.
But substitute Duran saw an opportunity from a distance and hammered a worldie past Pickford, a tremendous strike that curled away from Pickford and was unstoppable.
At the other end, Calvert-Lewin beat his man and got into space with only the goalkeeper — and the frame of the goal — to beat. It smacked off the bar and away.
End to end and Villa won a corner as Young was booked for dissent and Lindstrom replaced Ndiaye and Beto replaced Iroegbunam — five subs from Dyche… but the game was surely now lost with Villa in the ascendancy.
Duran tried the highly acrobatic finish as Everton struggled to maintain any kind of shape. O’Brien was booked for a foul on Rogers, the free-kick delivered harmlessly to Pickford. Philogene needlessly fouled Young, giving Lindstrom a chance for a set-piece delivery into the Villa area but it came to nothing as 6 minutes of added time were played out.
Lindstrom tried to reach Beto with a decent cross that Martinez snapped up. Duran got his header all wrong on a late Villa free-kick. So ended another ridiculous episode in the saga that is hapless Everton in the Premier League.
Aston Villa: Martinez [Y:48′], Bogarde, Konsa, Pau, Digne (69′ Maatsen), McGinn (89′ Philogene), Onana (46′ Barkley), Tielemans, Rogers, Ramsey (69′ Duran), Watkins (84′ Buendia).
Subs not Used: Gauci, Nedeljkovic, Diego Carlos, Young.
Everton: Pickford, Youn g [Y:80′], Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko (26′ Garner), Gana (64′ Mangala), Iroegbunam [Y:19′] (81′ Beto), Ndiaye [Y:14′] (81′ Lindstrøm), Harrison (64′ O’Brien), McNeil, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs not Used: Virginia, Beto, Doucoure, Armstrong, Dixon.
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