Aston Villa 0 Everton 0 - Report

Just 12 days after tormenting Everton at Goodison Park, Ollie Watkins sat out the return due to suspension and as a result Dean Smith’s team lost some of their attacking fluency in a match which always felt there for the taking but remained frustratingly out of reach.

Instead the biggest positive was Villa’s first clean sheet in more than two months as goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez finally matched Brad Friedel’s record of 15 shutouts in a Premier League campaign.

The Argentine was made to earn it, as an Everton team chasing European football, sluggish in the first half, came closest to winning it in the second. Martinez saved smartly from Ben Godfrey and Dominic Calvert-Lewin but Villa will feel they should have done more with promising openings at the other end.

Not even the return of Grealish after 12 matches out could spark them in the final stages. The skipper replaced Bertrand Traore in Smith’s third and final change with 18 minutes remaining but Villa’s best chance of the match remained a first half header from Tyrone Mings.

Keinan Davis, who replaced Watkins in the line-up for his first Premier League start of the season, battled hard but lacked support and isn't particularly suited to the lone striker role. Villa, who have now won just three o their last 14 matches, remain 11th in the table ahead of Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace.

Everton’s starting line-up looked, on paper at least, sturdier than the one beaten 2-1 by Villa at the start of the month, its spine bolstered by the returns to fitness of Michael Abdoulaye Doucoure.

With Watkins absent the onus for replacing his relentless pressing was always going to fall on his team-mates.

Ross Barkley did a particularly good job early on, pushing Seamus Coleman back from the halfway to the byline and forcing his former team-mate to concede a corner.

Villa were certainly the brighter starters. Bertrand Traore shot straight at Jordan Pickford from the edge of the box after being picked out by Anwar El Ghazi, who also fired an effort over the bar.

By far the best chance of the opening half fell to Mings but when Douglas Luiz pounced on a loose ball and returned into the box the defender sent his header wide from just six yards out.

The hosts continued to enjoy the better of it without really carving out another decent chance. McGinn, impressing in midfield, escaped the attentions of Allan and found Barkley on the edge of the box but the latter miscontrolled and a good chance went begging.

Everton looked even more out of sort in the final third. Calvert-Lewin headed weakly straight at Martinez from a Coleman cross, while Gylfi Sigurdsson fired a free-kick into the goalkeeper’s cross.

By far the most nervous moment for Martinez in the opening half came courtesy of a vicious Lucas Digne cross from the left which went over his head but also escaped Calvert-Lewin’s dive at the far post.

Villa suffered a blow on the stroke of half-time when Matty Cash was forced off with what looked like an injury to his right hamstring. He was replaced by Ahmed Elmohamady.

Everton began the second half looking like a team who had been told some home truths in the dressing room. Calvert-Lewin had already brought a save from Martinez, albeit from an offside position, before the goalkeeper made a really smart reaction stop to preserve parity, instinctively sticking up a hand to deflect the ball wide after Godfrey had managed to redirect a Sigurdsson free-kick toward goal.

When Villa finally got going again they nearly did so spectacularly, Pickford punching away a well-struck El Ghazi free-kick.

The home side were comfortably ahead in the corner count but every one was a disappointment. A short routine was worked to Traore but he sent the shot about 10 yards over the bar. When Andre Gomes was similarly wayward at the other end just moments after coming off the bench it summed up the game.

With 18 minutes remaining Grealish made his entrance, replacing Traore. His first act was a jinking run down the left wing before finding Matt Targett to cross, with El Ghazi’s shot blocked.

The game was beginning to open up. Richarlison escaped down the left and pulled the ball back to Gomes, with Elmohamady in the right place to block the shot. When Grealish then showed quick feet and found El Ghazi on the edge of the box, the latter fired hurriedly over the bar.

Martinez then produced his second big save after Calvert-Lewin rose to meet Digne’s cross at the far post, before Mings showed sharp awareness to cut out a dangerous Richarlison centre deep in stoppage time.

Teams

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash (Elmohamady 45+3), Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Luiz, Traore (Grealish 72), Barkley (Ramsey 65), El Ghazi, Davis Subs not used: Hause, Nakamba, Philogene-Bidace, Chukwuemeka, Wesley, Steer (gk).

Everton (4-4-2): Pickford, Godfrey, Keane, Holgate, Digne, Coleman (Iwobi 74), Doucoure, Allan, Sigurdsson (Gomes 67), Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison Subs not used: Delph, King, Nkounkou, Bernard, Davies, Virginia (gk), Olsen (gk).