After Manchester City lost and Arsenal cruised, Aston Villa had the chance to capitalize on Sunday’s home game against Everton. With victory, Aston Villa had moved up to second in the Premier League, three points ahead of City and four behind Arsenal.
However, there was no victory for Villa. Instead, it was Everton who walked away with the victory after Thierno Barry’s 59th-minute strike. The forward stayed in front of a rebound from Emiliano Martinez and lobbed in the game’s only goal.
– Horrible goalkeeping by Martinez. It’s a tame shot from McNeil and Martinez is going to catch the ball, Chris Sutton said.
Everton had a ball in the net already in the first half, on a header from Jake O’Brien, but the goal was ruled out for offside on team-mate Harrison Armstrong – who was judged to have interfered with the game by jumping up to the ball and obstructing an opponent.
– I suspect that David Moyes (Everton’s coach) will be furious about it, said Sky Sports expert Chris Sutton.
As if the loss wasn’t enough, Aston Villa suffered a heavy break after just one quarter. Midfield shadow and team captain John McGinn sat down on the grass and clutched his knee before he linked off. In addition, fellow midfielder Boubacar Kamara suffered a knee injury last weekend.
Aston Villa went into the game with eleven straight home wins. Now that streak is broken. Victor Nilsson Lindelöf remained on the bench for the home team.
After the match, Aston Villa coach Unai Emery offered a somewhat odd interview, considering the table position.
– We are still not a top five candidate. There are other teams with more potential than us,” Emery told Sky Sports.
Emery was otherwise tight-lipped in his responses and became completely silent when asked why he feels Villa cannot compete with the top teams in the Premier League.
Villa are currently nine points behind Chelsea, who are sixth in the table. The top five teams will – with the greatest probability – play in the Champions League next season.
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