Everton 0 Aston Villa 1: Ollie Watkins helps Villa make it back to back wins

This 1-0 win not only ended a five-match losing away run in the Premier League but made it six trips to the famous old ground unbeaten since their 2019 return to the top flight.

Not even the presence of David Moyes in the home dugout could inspire the struggling hosts.

Villa’s last four visits to Goodison have come without conceding a goal. Perhaps no surprise, then, that this was their first away Premier League clean sheet of a season when their defence has been rather too easily breached.

Their resilience on this occasion meant Ollie Watkins’ ninth Premier League goal of the season was enough to earn victory, the striker vindicating Unai Emery’s decision to keep faith with the England international despite Jhon Duran being back available following suspension.

Watkins, who had missed a golden chance in the opening half, made no mistake five minutes into the second to condemn the struggling Toffees to defeat on Moyes’ first match back.

Victory took Villa up to seventh in the table, two points behind fifth-placed Chelsea, ahead of Saturday’s trip to Arsenal. They will head to the Emirates on a three-match winning run.

Emery made four changes to the team which started Friday’s FA Cup win over West Ham, handing Jacob Ramsey a first start since the midfielder suffered injury on the other side of Stanley Park when Villa lost 2-0 at Liverpool in early November. Fit-again Emi Martinez also returned to the XI.

But most significant was the change Emery didn’t make, the Spaniard opting to name Duran on the bench after completing his three-match suspension, Watkins keeping his place up front.

Emery also handed Amadou Onana a first star since Boxing Day and the midfielder, making his first return to Everton since becoming Villa’s £50million record signing last summer, came close to a dream start when his shot took a wicked deflection off James Tarkowski and spun just past the post.

Jordan Pickford had been left totally wrong-footed by the diversion but just moments later made a telling contribution when he denied Morgan Rogers at full stretch.

The stadium had been raucous at kick-off with the introduction of Moyes but Villa were quicker to anything, Boubacar Kamara pouncing on a loose pass and setting Watkins away. He teed up Youri Tielemans yet a slight hesitation allowed Tarkowski to make the block.

Then came a huge chance for Watkins. Former Villa man Ashley Young tried to pass back to Pickford but left the keeper woefully short. Watkins tried to take the chance early but sent his effort wide of the far post having failed to apply sufficient curl.

Villa should have been in front but were then almost behind when Vitali Mykolenko picked out the run of Calvert-Lewin, who got a decent connection on his shot but pulled it wide of Martinez’s far post.

The visiting keeper was then tested by Abdoulaye Doucoure after Mings lost possession and it was another mistake, this time by Lucas Digne, which led to the home side’s biggest chance of the half. Kamara was on the line to stop Calvert-Lewin’s low shot from crossing it.

Having failed to fashion much of note for a while, Villa then should have led at the break but with virtually the last action of the half Ramsey flashed a shot wide after the ball had fallen kindly for him in the box.

Ramsey also had a half-chance soon after the restart but after again beginning brightly, this time Villa did not let the home side off the hook as Watkins put them in front.

Ezri Konsa battled to get away from trouble deep in his own half and between them he and Tielemans forced an error from Jarrod Branthwaite. That left Rogers running at the home defence and his pass freed Watkins, who slid his finish past a stranded Pickford.

It was the striker’s first goal from open play since November and his celebrations spoke more of relief than anything else.

Having seen their team fall behind, the home crowd were further displeased when Onana, booked early for bringing down Gana, escaped a second caution when the same player fell under his challenge. Six home players surrounded referee Sam Barrott but the official remained unmoved.

Villa struggled to create another clear chance but so did the hosts, Branthwaite slicing a golden chance off target.

Then, in stoppage time, came the home side’s best chance after a poor header by the otherwise excellent Mings. But Calvert-Lewin skied over from eight yards out and the visitors surviced.

Villa, should both teams progress through the next round, might hope for one last trip here in the FA Cup.

Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford, Young (O’Brien 83), Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Mangala, Gueye, Harrison (Lindstrom 59), Doucoure (Beto 83), Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin Subs not used: Patterson, Keane, Armstrong, Sherif, Virginia (gk), Begovic (gk).

Villa (4-2-3-1):Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne, Kamara, Onana, Ramsey (Buendia 81), Tielemans, Rogers, Watkins Subs not used: Nedeljkovic, Bogarde, Maatsen, Bailey, Jimoh-Aloba, Duran, Gauci (gk), Olsen (gk).