Everton 1 Aston Villa 1 - Report and pictures

Dean Smith’s team lead at Everton through Ezri Konsa’s 72nd minute goal and looked on course for a victory which would have taken them to within a point of safety.

Then came Theo Walcott’s equaliser, just three minutes from time, to completely change the mood and outlook.

Villa’s players left the field at the final whistle wearing looks of disbelief at how they had failed to claim a victory which looked certain to be theirs. Perhaps they also were wondering, along with everyone else, how Anwar El Ghazi had failed to put the game to bed with 10 minutes remaining.

The Dutch winger, whose second half introduction helped give Villa much-needed vim and vigour in attack, contrived to put Jack Grealish’s cross over the bar from just two yards out.

It proved a crucial moment in the match and quite possibly the season.

Villa, now three points from safety but with an inferior goal difference to their rivals in the relegation scrap, now likely need to win their final two matches to stand any hope of avoiding the drop. They may also require results elsewhere to go in their favour.

The slim consolation is that victory in their remaining matches with Arsenal and West Ham is more than possible, if they can replicate the performances shown here and in last weekend’s win over Crystal Palace.

In both matches Smith’s team has shown the necessary commitment and desire to win. What they lack is quality, particularly in the final third. The bad news is it is far too late in the season to fix that.

Villa’s line-up featured just the one, expected change, from the one which started Sunday’s win over Palace, as Matt Targett replaced the injured Neil Taylor at left-back.

With Kortney Hause and Danny Drinkwater also unavailable, Smith found space on the bench for 17-year-old full-back Kaine Kesler Hayden.

Writing in the programme, Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti had demanded his team play with “pride and heart” after Sunday’s meek surrender at Wolves.

The hosts certainly started with purpose, Dominic Calvert-Lewin acrobatically volleying an Alex Iwobi cross over the bar inside the opening minute.

Calvert-Lewin was then unable to react in time when Tyrone Mings got the slightest of touches on an inviting Richarlison cross, the ball hitting the striker and looping over the bar.

Everton were enjoying plenty of joy down the flanks and Villa looked shaky again when Bernard’s cross from the left bounced off the top of the bar.

It was far from one-way traffic but when the visitors did find themselves in good positions but Trezeguet and Mbwana Samatta were wasteful.

The former lost control of the ball after Jack Grealish had escaped his marker and burst through the middle of the park. Samatta then headed Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross way off target.

Everton were forced into an early change when former Albion loanee Mason Holgate picked up a knock. His replacement, 18-year-old Jarrad Branthwaite, then got a crucial touch on a Grealish shot to send it flying over the bar.

Both teams were showing some decent build-up play but neither keeper was troubled before the break, Alex Iwobi hammering over for the Toffees from a decent position, before Douglas Luiz did likewise for Villa.

Grealish had a huge chance to put his team in front early in the second half after being picked out by McGinn’s excellent crossfield ball. But with Seamus Coleman ahead of him, the skipper pulled his shot a foot wide of the near post. A minute later, he bent an effort wide of the other upright as Villa continued their bright start to the period.

Nobody seemed able to hit the target, Everton’s Tom Davies the next player to send an effort flying over from outside the box.

Smith introduced Anwar El Ghazi and Keinan Davis just past the hour mark. The latter won a free-kick 25 yards out after having his shirt pulled by Branthwaite but Hourihane thumped his shot into the wall.

With 18 minutes remaining, the Republic of Ireland did far better when Andre Gomes brought down Davis on the right. Diving forward, the striker could not quite reach Hourihane’s inswinging delivery but Konsa could, sticking out a boot to steer the ball beyond Pickford.

The substitutes had made a difference for Villa and with 10 minutes to go El Ghazi should have sealed the victory. Grealish crossed from the left but the Dutch winger somehow contrived to put his finish over the bar from no more than two yards out.

Villa were almost made to pay when Konsa slipped, allowing Gomes to cross for Calvert-Lewin, who from six yards out turned his finish inches wide.

Yet with two minutes to go Everton got the goal which could prove so costly to the visitors survival hopes. Gomes crossed from the left, Walcott sent a looping header over Reina and Konsa was unable to keep the ball out with acrobatic effort on the line.

It was the hosts who then came closest to winning it as another substitute, Gylfi Sigurdsson, sent a shot curling wide of the post in stoppage time.

Everton (4-4-2): Pickford, Coleman (c), Holgate (Branthwaite 17), Keane, Digne, Iwobi (Walcott 62), Davies (Sigurdsson 73), Gomes, Bernard (Gordon 62), Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison (Kean 73) Subs not used: Baines, Sidibe, Stekelenburg (gk), Virginia (gk).

Villa (4-3-3): Reina, Elmohamady, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Luiz, Hourihane, Trezeguet (El Ghazi 64), Samatta (Davis 64), Grealish (c) Subs not used: Guilbert, Kesler Hayden, Nakamba, Lansbury, Jota, Vassilev, Nyland (gk).