Everton 0 Aston Villa 0 - Report
Villa missed the chance to go level on points with leaders Liverpool as Unai Emery experienced his first goal-less draw in the Premier League at the 97th attempt.
The Spaniard’s team were on top for long period at Goodison Park but could not find a winner as they failed to score for just the fourth time this season.
Alex Moreno saw a first half effort ruled out for offside following a lengthy VAR check while Jordan Pickford brilliantly denied Leon Bailey.
Emi Martinez pulled off two excellent saves in the space of a minute to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin and James Garner but was otherwise untroubled as Villa were frustrated.
Analysis
Substitute Jhon Duran had Villa’s last two chances of the match, sending both wide of the post. Matty Cash and John McGinn were both denied by blocks in the home box as the visitors could not find a way through.
Villa finished the match with 16 attempts on goal, though the fact only five of those were on target rather told the story.
When Moreno did make no mistake from the edge of the box following a short corner routine, the goal was chalked off for an offside after an exhausting four-minute VAR check.
Villa head into their winter break sitting third in the table, two points behind the leaders after a result which, while not bad, should probably have been better.
Emery provided the positive news on Friday that Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans had both returned to training but only the former was present in the matchday in the squad and on the bench.
In a further blow, Villa were also missing Jacob Ramsey after the midfielder complained of a “small pain” and was left out as a precaution.
Everton, by contrast, were boosted by the return of Abdoulaye Doucoure to midfield and it was they who started the brighter, pressing the visitors aggressively.
Villa were fortunate not to be a goal down before they got up to the pace of the game. Amadou Onana caught Douglas Luiz napping on the edge of his own box and it needed the alertness of Martinez to beat the midfielder to the loose ball.
The visitors were beginning to pick things up, with Ollie Watkins bringing the first save of the match from Pickford, before the latest VAR talking point.
Moreno thought he had opened the scoring when he drilled home from the edge of the box following a training ground short corner routine but after a four minute wait the strike was overturned, Bailey adjudged to have been offside in the build-up.
Villa were on top though and went close again, Bailey bringing a superb save from Pickford after Watkins had just failed to squeeze home an effort from a tight angle.
Martinez had mostly been a spectator but was then twice called into action in the space of seconds at the end of the half. First he brilliantly denied Calvert-Lewin with his legs after the striker had beaten the offside trap and raced clear. Moments later, he tipped a low Garner effort round the post.
Villa were much sharper at the start of the second half but still lacking finesse. Watkins saw a shot deflected wide, while McGinn curled an effort just off target after a rapid break.
A game which had been scrappy throughout was becoming increasingly ill-tempered. Clement Lenglet and Tarkowski were both booked for their part in a melee which followed the latter’s tough but fair challenge on Moreno. Tielemans, introduced off the bench with Jhon Duran as Emery sought the necessary killer instinct in attack, was then shown a yellow card for bringing down James Garner.
Villa were bossing possession now with Matty Cash and McGinn both denied in quick succession by blocks in the Everton box. Duran, then divered a Cash cross narrowly wide of the far post before heading a Moreno cross wide in stoppage time.
Key Moments
18 – VAR Villa think they have taken the lead when Alex Moreno drills home from the edge of the box but after a four minute delay the goal is overturned as Leon Bailey was offside in the build-up.
Teams
Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Onana, Doucoure, Harrison, Garner, Danjuma (McNeil 63), Calvert-Lewin (Beto 63) Subs not used: Patterson, Keane, Gomes, Godfrey, Chermiti, Dobbin, Virginia (gk).
Villa (4-4-2): Martinez, Konsa, Carlos (Cash 74), Lenglet, Moreno, McGinn (Zaniolo 89), Kamara, Luiz, Bailey (Tielemans 64), Diaby (Duran 64), Watkins Subs not used: Dendoncker, Iroegbunam, Wright (gk), Marschall (gk).
