In Matchweek 22 of the English Premier League, Aston Villa hosted Everton and an unexpected result was recorded: a single goal decided the game — 0–1. Unai Emery’s side fell to a narrow defeat.
This loss is especially painful for Aston Villa because during the round both Arsenal (50 points) and Manchester City (43 points) dropped points. However, Emery’s men failed to take advantage of what looked like a “golden chance” at first glance. As a result, Aston Villa stayed 3rd with 43 points — instead of closing the gap to the teams above, they were forced to defend their position.
Everton, meanwhile, took a huge step forward with this win. The visitors moved to 32 points and climbed to 10th in the table. These three points are a “plus” not only in terms of standings but also morale: the team’s hard work paid off.
The only goal of the match was scored in the 59th minute. Barry calmly converted his chance and put Everton ahead — 0–1. After that, Villa tried to pull the game back, but Pickford’s solidity in goal and a lack of sharpness in attack prevented any change in the scoreline.
There were notable substitutions on both sides. For Aston Villa, Digne replaced Maatsen (73) and Hemmings came on for Bogarde (73). McGinn was substituted as early as the 18th minute, with Gessand coming on. For Everton, Barry made way for Beto in the 84th minute.
The bookings show it was a fairly “tough” game: Everton’s McNeil (23) and Garner (47), and Aston Villa’s Bogarde (56) were shown yellow cards.
EPL. Matchweek 22
Aston Villa — Everton 0:1
18 January, Villa Park
Goal: Barry (59).
Aston Villa — Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen (Digne, 73), Bogarde (Hemmings, 73), Tielemans, McGinn (Gessand, 18), Rogers, Buendia, Watkins.
Everton — Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko, Rol, Garner, McNeil, Armstrong, Grealish, Barry (Beto, 84).
Bookings: McNeil (23), Garner (47), Bogarde (56).
In summary, for Aston Villa this match was a missed opportunity in the table race. For Everton, it was a hard-earned “golden” three points worth celebrating. If Emery’s side don’t quickly restore both performance and results in the next rounds, the pressure in the top three could increase.
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