Everton suffered their first defeat of the season
Everton’s wafer thin squad depth was exposed as Aston Villa secured a 3-0 victory with a compelling performance. Despite an evenly matched first half, Everton failed to maintain the momentum as Villa turned the tempo and punished the Toffees.
Everton were forced to make three changes in the lineup as Jordan Pickford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Richarlison were ruled out due to injuries. Salomon Rondon, Alex Iwobi and Asmir Begovic started in place of the injured players.
The Toffees being without their first choice goalkeeper, the striker duo and the captain did hurt them a lot. There was no sign of James Rodriguez either. Everton’s unbeaten run came to an end as Rafa Benitez lost his first game at Villa Park, on his 10th visit to the stadium as an opposition manager.
Here are the Everton player ratings vs Aston Villa:
Asmir Begovic – 6
Asmir Begovic produced a brilliant save in the first half from a close range powerful Tyrone Mings header. The Bosnian then conceded three goals in the second half but there was very little he could have done to stop either of the three goals. Cash and Leon Bailey had struck the ball with unbelievable power while Digne’s flick was not easy to handle and the ball ended in the back of the net.
Defence:
Ben Godfrey – 6
Ben Godfrey operated from the right back position in absence of Seamus Coleman. The 23 year old was getting into advanced positions, showcasing his attacking abilities while also defending well against Ollie Watkins. He put his pace to good use, getting forward and making exciting runs, supporting Andros Townsend.
In the second half, Godfrey did go silent and struggled to make much impact in the second half. He was taken off for Jonjoe Kenny in the 80th minute.
Michael Keane – 5
After Asmir Begovic pulled off a brilliant save, Michael Keane dealt with the ball well, but has been very busy as Danny Ings and Watkins have looked dangerous. Keane lost a total of six duels in the game.
Yerry Mina – 5
Yerry Mina has had to work hard to keep the Aston Villa attackers at bay. He along with Keane had to remain error free or the Villa attack was always ready to pounce. In the second half, he had a difficult time which embodied Everton’s situation in the second half.
Lucas Digne – 4
Lucas Digne’s set piece deliveries will be a big talking point. The Frenchman has had few good chances to push forward and swing in crosses. His night became bad when he allowed Matty Cash to pull off the trigger and score a belter. His night went from bad to worse when scored an own goal. Digne has had a very underwhelming day at the office.
Midfield:
Andros Townsend – 6.5
Andros Townsend looked full of intent making few decent crosses in the first half and also attempting a shot that was saved by Emiliano Martinez. The former Crystal Palace man is known for his crossing and defensive commitment and he showed both of his traits in the game.
However, after Villa’s first goal, Townsend almost went unnoticeable as Everton could hardly produce anything on the attack.
Allan – 4.5
Allan didn’t look at his best as he was facing a difficult midfield battle. The Brazilian faced difficulties in the middle of the park as Aston Villa were the better side in the middle of the park. Allan was taken off in the second half for Anthony Gordon.
Abdoulaye Doucoure – 5
A very similar story to Allan. Despite showing a little bit of promise early on in the game, Abdoulaye Doucoure couldn’t do much as Villa dominated the midfield. He and Allan were struggling and his passing was not up to the mark. Unlike the Burnley game, Doucoure didnt have too many chances to surge forward.
Alex Iwobi – 6
Alex Iwobi slotted in the left wide role allowing Demarai Gray to operate alongside Rondon. Iwobi looked energetic and creative when he was on the ball but not everything came off for him. The Nigerian then found himself in unfamiliar territory, operating as a false nine after Rondon’s substitution.
Attack:
Salomon Rondon – 5
The new Everton signing had a big responsibility on his shoulders, to lead Everton’s goalscoring charge in absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison. Salomon Rondon was involved in the opening stages of the game and had a chance to score his first goal for Everton as Ben Godfrey played a low cross but the Venezuelan could only win a corner.
He was strong with his hold up play but still lacks match fitness to pull off 90 minutes. As the match progressed, Rondon looked tired and was taken off for Andre Gomes.
Demarai Gray – 7
Demarai Gray upfront with Salomon Rondon. The Englishman has been electric for Everton and even on a very bad day, the former Leicester City man showed quite a lot of positives and was easily the best player on the pitch for the Merseysiders. Gray was looking energetic and came close to scoring in the second half.
Substitutions:
Andre Gomes – 5
Came on for Rondon in the 63rd minute.
Anthony Gordon – 5
Came on for Allan in the 70th minute.
Tom Davies – N/A
Came on for Iwobi in the 81st minute.
Jonjoe Kenny – N/A
Came on for Ben Godfrey in the 80th minute.
Will Everton make a comeback against QPR in the Carabao Cup?