Aston Villa secured a battling 1-0 win over Everton, with Ollie Watkins finding a breakthrough in the second half to secure all three points.
Villa imposed themselves well and had control for most of the game, but our wastefulness in the first half threatened to undo all that good work.
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Fortunately, Watkins found the back of the net early on after the interval to put us ahead, and we produced a much-improved defensive display to see the game out and register a welcomed clean sheet.
That’s three consecutive wins across all competitions as we prepare to head to Arsenal this weekend, and it’s hoped that we’re starting to build real momentum now and continue to improve.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Everton:
Emiliano Martinez, 7 – Didn’t have too much to do but marshalled the backline well and was strong in commanding his box with Everton putting in a number of dangerous deliveries.
Matty Cash, 7 – Showed good energy and persistence getting up and down the right flank to give us width and stretch the pitch, a tidy performance in both phases.
Ezri Konsa, 8 – Accurate with his distribution, but alongside Mings, they produced a solid defensive display as he cleared countless crosses and was always alert to the ball over the top to limit Everton’s threat.
Tyrone Mings, 8 – Dominant display as he was equal to every cross that Everton put into the box, was physical and read the game well to nullify the threat from the home side and really keep a lid on their ability to create openings.
Lucas Digne, 7 – Good shift in both phases, as he was diligent with his defending and pushed forward when possible to give us width and an attacking threat with his deliveries.
Amadou Onana, 7.5 – Walked a tightrope after picking up an early booking, and although he risked a second at times, it was a disciplined performance to shield the backline and give us a sense of control with his physical presence in the middle.
Boubacar Kamara, 8.5 – This is meant as a massive compliment, but the Frenchman is just there, wherever he’s needed. Brilliant out of possession as he has an exceptional sense and positional awareness to snuff out danger, while he was composed and effective with the ball. Dropped back into a back three at times, and that tactical versatility also makes him a level above.
Morgan Rogers, 7.5 – Had an early effort which set the tone for Villa in the opening stages, and eventually made a decisive impact on the game with his ability to break away with pace and play a perfectly weighted through ball to Watkins to break the deadlock.
Youri Tielemans, 7 – Crucial in adding fluidity to our play with composure and technical ability on the ball, and was a vital link throughout the game to give us control. Similarly to Kamara, he is great at picking up the right spots and spaces on the pitch to make his mark and have an influence.
Jacob Ramsey, 7 – He’ll be kicking himself for not getting on the scoresheet, as he had two big chances either side of half-time to break the deadlock. However, he looked really sharp at times and played with positive intent to break forward, and he’ll hopefully get sharper and more clinical as he gets more minutes in the coming weeks.
Ollie Watkins, 7.5 – Scored the winning goal, as he made a brilliant run off the ball to find space and open up the pitch, and he kept his composure to slot it away. However, he’ll know that he has to be more clinical moving forward as he missed a huge chance in the first half, and on another night, that could have proven to be costly. Another big shift for the team though.
Substitutes:
Emiliano Buendia, N/A
