The second coming of David Moyes failed to inspire Everton Wednesday losing 1-0 at home against Villa Aston after another toothless performance in the Premier League.
Villa had lost their last five away games in the league but were by far the best team at Goodison Park and took the points via Ollie Watkins“Goal in the 51st minute.
Moyes, returning to the club he left in 2013 following Sean Dyche’s sacking last week, was able to see up close the huge challenge he faces as Everton struggled through the night for precision and ideas to achieve one victory in 12 league matches. during that time, they failed to score in nine of them.
That drought never seemed to end on Wednesday and they remain two places and a point above the relegation zone, while Villa move up to seventh, level on points with Manchester City.
Moyes is Everton’s ninth permanent manager since leaving the club after 11 relatively successful years. Manchester United but if anyone expected an immediate change in approach after the austere dishes served under Dyche, they were quickly disappointed.
It was a curiously subdued atmosphere on the pitch and Everton quickly shifted into their default mode this season – cautious, cautious and devoid of any notable attacking intent.
Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
It was Villa who took the initiative Jordan Pickford well saved from Morgane Rogers, James Tarkowski I made a desperate block to deny Youri Tielemans and Watkins shot wide after grabbing a poor Ashley Young go back.
Everton had their first attempt at goal after half an hour when Dominic Calvert-Lewin shot wide and he then had an off-balance effort cleared off the line by Boubacar Camera.
Watkins gave Villa the lead six minutes after the restart when he found himself in too much space to run onto a Rogers through ball and slot low past Pickford.
The goal shook the home fans, but Everton’s players remained disjointed and inaccurate and their evening was summed up in stoppage time when Calvert-Lewin, desperately short of confidence after scoring two goals all season, launched a ball over the bar.
“I have no illusions about the work I have to do. We couldn’t score a goal tonight,” Moyes said.
“We tried hard but a little mistake, a little bit out of position, really cost us the game.”
The only comfort Moyes could take from that evening was the defeat of his relegation rivals. Leicester City And Wolverhampton Wanderersbut he knows he cannot count on that for the rest of the season if Everton are to avoid relegation for the first time in 71 years.
“The position we find ourselves in is not as good as we would like. We have had some very good results and draws and we have been difficult to play against under Sean, but we need to show more quality with the ball ” he said. . “That’s the part that disappointed me tonight.”
The mood was obviously different in the Villa camp.
“It was a tricky game, they made it difficult and the atmosphere was great, but we managed,” Watkins said.
“We could have been a little more clinical in the first half and it’s a deserved three points. I had a chance in the first half but we have to keep going. We have to keep our minds focused on the game.”
Villa boss Unai Emery was also a happy man. “We played very well, we had a few clear chances and only conceded one,” he said.
“We didn’t have quite the same control in the second half, but the clean sheet was important and it was important that we ended that run (of away defeats).”
