Aston Villa poured forth its own Week 1 frustration and piled even more misery on Everton with a 4-0 demolition of the Toffees at Villa Park on Sunday.
There were injuries to go along with the insults for Everton boss Sean Dyche, who lost Dominic Calvert-Lewin to a head injury and Alex Iwobi to a thigh complaint in the first half.
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Unai Emery’s side was thumped 5-1 at the hands of a sensational Newcastle side last Saturday, and quickly went about restoring its promise with Sunday’s showing. John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Leon Bailey, and substitute Jhon Duran all scored to the delight of a lively Villa Park.
Everton follows up its 1-0 loss to Fulham with an outright blowout loss, and Sean Dyche will know upcoming matches with Wolves and Sheffield United, all three at zero points on the moment, will set the tone for the season.
Will the real Villa please stand up?
Is the difference between Villa’s Week 1 — a 5-1 hammering from Newcastle — and Week 2 simply down to quality of the opponent?
Probably not. Villa just laid an egg at St. James’ Park and Sunday’s performance at home looked a lot more like what we saw all summer from Unai Emery.
Pau Torres looked good with Ezri Konsa, easing concerns about his adjustment to the league following Tyrone Mings’ long-term injury, and Douglas Luiz continues to run the park like a man identified by Pep Guardiola for Man City many (blue) moons ago.
If you’re betting on one of those games being an outlier, it’s gotta be the blowout loss up north.
Everton hope tank on ‘E’
Two matches into the season and Everton fans have to be bummed if not dejected by their team’s status.
Sean Dyche’s team was better than Fulham but lost in Week 1, but any hope provided by the performance will have taken a sizable hit from Sunday’s awful loss.
Not only did Everton fail to show much threat at all, but it lost Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alex Iwobi to injury (with Jack Harrison, Dwight McNeil, and Dele Alli already missing).
Jordan Pickford conceded a penalty and gave up more goals than he made saves, while big errors like Michael Keane’s giveaway to spring Duran’s goal were on display, too.
And it’s just Week 2. Oof.
What’s next?
Everton has two huge matches ahead, beginning with a 10am ET Saturday visit from Wolves, while Villa heads to Burnley at 9am Sunday.
How to watch Aston Villa vs Everton live, stream link, time
Kickoff: 9am ET, Sunday (August 20)
TV: USA Network
Online: Watch online via NBCSports.com
A whole lot of green on Villa side of things, as you’d be hard-pressed to find a player who wasn’t solid in front of the home fans.
The flip is true for the visitors, although Arnaut Danjuma and his four shots off the bench would like a word.
Frank words from a frank man as Sean Dyche speaks following the blowout loss (via the BBC):
“Too many mistakes get punished but overall I won’t make any excuses, they were far better than us today. That was not good enough, it was way off where we want to be, way of the consistency we need.
“They had just been punished themselves, they reacted and we need to react ourselves. We were miles off it today.”
Not even close.
Everton managed just 39% possession, 0.67 expected goals, and nine shots while losing two (more) big contributors to injury in Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alex Iwobi.
Villa piled up 3.06 xG and at times felt like they were pushing the turbo button en route to four goals. Douglas Luiz was brilliant and Unai Emery’s plan had the Toffees fouling Villans just for something to do.
One-time Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho is in serious pain on the pitch.
The Brazilian was off-balance and battling for the ball with Abdoulaye Doucoure when he suffered something in his left leg.
It looked like a hamstring or quad, and Coutinho had to leave the pitch without the ability to put more than a modicum of weight on his injured peg.
It hurts Villa’s depth and also its chances of getting money for Coutinho with rumored Saudi bids afoot.
Cameron Archer takes his place.
That’s a poor giveaway from Michael Keane.
New Villa sub Jhon Duran, the ex-Chicago Fire player, has acres of space to drive toward Pickford.
He has so much room that he can make a poor touch, track it down, and slot past the ex-Sunderland man.
Villa, 4-0.
Two world-class antagonizers match wits near the Everton back post.
Neal Maupay lashes a shot toward goal that Emiliano Martinez saves, and it’s a really good stop.
The rebound is from an acute angle and probably only an intervention between Maupay and a receiver inside the six, but it’s necessary and Villa keeps its clean sheet spotless.
Still 3-0 to Villa.
Everton’s had to make another injury sub for an attacker, with Alex Iwobi hurting his hamstring and Neal Maupay entering the fray.
And Villa adds insult to that injury by scoring on the next stanza.
A big throw-in is half-cleared and Bailey is in an inviting area to fire home. Jordan Pickford doesn’t have a chance.
Aston Villa, 3-0. And this is only going one way.
Calvert-Lewin returned to the game but left it in the 38th minute for Arnaut Danjuma, and the injury substitution has had the unintended consequence of breathing some life into Everton.
They still have a mountain to climb against a Villa team clearly stung and inspired by its 5-1 loss at Newcastle in Week 1.
Villa’s had nearly two-thirds of the ball, boasts a 2.12-0.22 xG score, and has attempted seven of the game’s 10 shots.
What will Sean Dyche do at the break? The bench is thin when it comes to attacking options with Dwight McNeil, Jack Harrison, and Dele Alli all injured. Neal Maupay seems a certainty to enter the game at some point, and Vitalii Mykolenko’s reputation says he has something to offer the Toffees.
We thought we were waiting for the Goal Decision System to tell referee Anthony Taylor hether Ollie Watkins’ ball had crossed the line.
And maybe we were, as it didn’t, but Taylor has blown the whistle for another reason: Jordan Pickford’s contact with Watkins as the Englishmen lunged for the ball.
He’s incensed. Taylor doesn’t care, and now he’s giving Pickford a yellow for time-wasting in the run-up to the penalty. Research has shown the longer the time between a penalty’s award and attempt, the worse the chance of conversion.
Not here. Douglas Luiz buries his chance and cups his ear to the crowd.
Villa, 2-0.
Villa Park erupts as the hosts go in front.
Leon Bailey uses a clever cut to leave Ashley Young on the turf, and the Jamaican international sends a hard cross toward the penalty spot.
John McGinn beats it to the near post and Jordan Pickford doesn’t have any hope of stopping the side-footed rip.
Villa, 1-0.
Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin needs a cutman!
The striker is not a boxer, though Sean Dyche might sign a few if given the chances, and has needed considerable treatment for an open wound on his cheek.
He’ll have to leave the pitch for now. He looks eager enough to continue, but the facial wound is an inconvenient place for a big, physical center forward.
Your Aston Villa today. 👊 #AVLEVE pic.twitter.com/kqOeJs0h6z
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 20, 2023
Our starting XI to face Villa 🔵#AVLEVE pic.twitter.com/abDwlwPdAj
— Everton (@Everton) August 20, 2023
Everton injuries
OUT: Jack Harison (groin), Dwight McNeil (ankle), Seamus Coleman (knee), Dele Alli (groin) | QUESTIONABLE: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (undisclosed)
Aston Villa injuries
OUT: Emiliano Buendia (torn ACL - out for season), Tyrone Mings (torn ACL - out for season), Bertrand Traore (undisclosed), Leander Dendoncker (undisclosed), Jhon Duran (undisclosed), Alex Moreno (hamstring), Jacob Ramsey (foot) | QUESTIONABLE: Leon Bailey (back)