Matt Maher analysis: Rampant Aston Villa chew up and spit out sickly Toffees
Few things cure Villa’s ills quite like playing Everton.
Whenever they need a pick-me-up, the Toffees are frequently there to oblige.
Yesterday’s 4-0 cruise at Villa Park was their fifth straight win in the fixture, extending an unbeaten run over the Merseyside club since returning to the Premier League to nine matches.
It was the perfect antidote to any hangover from the 5-1 opening day thrashing at Newcastle, much in the same way it was when Villa defeated Everton at the same stage of the season a year ago after a stumbling start at Bournemouth, or when they halted February’s three-match losing run by winning 2-0 at Goodison Park.
Barely a week after suffering their heaviest defeat under Unai Emery, Villa responded by recording their biggest win for nearly 18 months.
Just as it was unwise to draw too many lasting conclusions from losing to a Newcastle team who appear destined to once more challenge the top four, so the same applies to beating an Everton team who again looked resigned to a season of struggle. Perhaps the one certainty, considering their recent dominance whenever they meet, is Villa will be among those most fervently hoping the Toffees again survive.
