Everton Shock Villa Park to End Aston Villa Home Run

Aston Villa’s formidable home run finally came to an end on Sunday night as Everton produced a disciplined and ruthless display to grind out a 1-0 Premier League victory at Villa Park.

In a weekend where all of the league’s top three dropped points, Unai Emery’s side failed to make home advantage count, allowing Everton to fully capitalise through a second-half strike from Thierno Barry. The result keeps Villa third in the table but halts their momentum, while the Toffees climb back into the top half after another impressive away showing.

The warning signs for the hosts arrived almost immediately. Everton struck the woodwork inside 12 seconds, with Merlin Rohl rattling the post after a flick-on, setting the tone for a nervy opening. Villa gradually grew into the contest and dominated possession, but clear chances were hard to come by despite a flurry of efforts from Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia.

Both sides came close before the break. Everton thought they had taken the lead through Jake O’Brien’s header, only for VAR to rule it out for offside, while Villa were denied by the crossbar as Evann Guessand’s looping header beat Jordan Pickford but not the frame of the goal. At half-time, the hosts had enjoyed the lion’s share of the ball, yet the scoreline remained goalless.

The decisive moment arrived in the 59th minute. Dwight McNeil’s curling effort was spilled by Emiliano Martinez on the slick surface, and Barry reacted quickest near the byline, lifting a composed left-footed finish over the goalkeeper to silence Villa Park. It was a goal that summed up Everton’s sharpness on the road, making the most of a rare opening.

Villa responded with pressure rather than penetration. They finished the night with 18 attempts and an xG of 1.36, compared to Everton’s modest 0.56, but the anticipated late siege never truly materialised. Pickford stood firm when called upon, producing a superb save to tip Rogers’ fierce strike over the bar, while Everton’s compact defensive shape frustrated the hosts deep into stoppage time.

As the minutes ticked away, Everton expertly ran down the clock, winning fouls and breaking Villa’s rhythm. The final whistle confirmed Villa’s first home defeat since August and their first loss to Everton in the league since returning to the top flight in 2019.

For Aston Villa, attention now turns quickly to Europe, with a demanding trip to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce in the Europa League. Everton, meanwhile, can afford a brief pause to savour the result, with David Moyes’ side not back in action until next week at home to Leeds United.

It was not a night of flowing football, but it was a night of efficiency, resilience and belief for Everton. At Villa Park, that proved more than enough.