Everton 1-2 Aston Villa: Anwar El Ghazi scores late winner for visitors
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Anwar El Ghazi struck the winner in the 80th minute at Goodison Park
Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti says his side missed a big opportunity to stay in contention for a finish in the European places as the Toffees lost at home to Aston Villa.
Anwar El Ghazi’s superb second-half strike secured victory for the visitors and dealt a significant blow to Everton’s chances of finishing in the top four of the Premier League.
El Ghazi curled home from the edge of the box with 10 minutes remaining to secure Villa only their third win in their last 11 league games.
Everton had started the day six points off the top four but this defeat, coupled with a win for Chelsea, means they are now nine points adrift of Thomas Tuchel’s side.
“We lost a big opportunity to stay in the fight,” Ancelotti told BBC Sport. “We’re still in the fight but with less possibility and more difficulties.
“We didn’t start the game as well as this kind of game demands. It was an important game and would have been an important result.”
El Ghazi’s winner was the only highlight of a relatively flat second half that failed to build on a pulsating first.
Ollie Watkins opened the scoring when he pounced on a mistake by Mason Holgate before slotting past Jordan Pickford.
However, Everton hit back soon after when Dominic Calvert-Lewin powered home a header following a corner.
Home keeper Pickford then twice denied Watkins with excellent saves to keep Villa at bay, while ex-Everton midfielder Ross Barkley struck the post with a low effort from range.
But despite Pickford’s best efforts Villa secured the three points when El Ghazi struck late on.
The defeat leaves Everton eighth on 52 points while Villa are four points behind in ninth.
Pickford heroics can’t save Everton 
Aston Villa could have been out of sight in the first half but for some excellent saves by Jordan Pickford
To have still been in the conversation for a top-four finish at this stage of the season is impressive for Everton, but the Toffees will perhaps wonder what might have been if their home form had been just marginally better than it is.
The Toffees have collected just 19 points from 17 home matches, with eight of those games ending in defeat.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s difficult to explain why, but it’s true,” Ancelotti said of Everton’s home record.
“The away run we have is also unbelievable. The home run has affected us in the table. I hope it doesn’t affect us in the end.”
After such an impressive win at Arsenal last time out, Everton never really got going against a Villa side that looked hungrier for the victory from the outset.
Indeed, the visitors could have won by a bigger margin but for some excellent saves by Pickford.
He came off his line quickly to prevent Watkins from adding a second not long after opening the scoring, and produced a stunning save to somehow deny the striker again at the back post.
It was arguably Pickford’s best performance of the season and bodes well for England with the European Championship starting in just over a month.
Everton 1-2 Aston Villa: Our attitude was wrong – Ancelotti Watkins impresses as Southgate watches
Another player with European Championship aspirations is Villa striker Watkins, and this performance will have done his chances of convincing Gareth Southgate to make a place for him in his squad no harm.
The England boss was watching in the stands as Watkins took his tally in an excellent debut Premier League season to 13 goals, and he could easily have added a couple more to that total.
But aside from his goals, Watkins offers impressive work-rate in attack and he was a constant menace for Everton with his pressing from the front.
He was there to steal the ball from a hesitant Holgate to open the scoring and, for a 20-minute period in the first half, the Toffees were unable to get a handle on his determined runs off the ball.
It was another impressive display from the former Brentford striker and with games against Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea still to come, Watkins has plenty more chances to further underline his credentials to Southgate.
“I thought he was good and difficult to handle. It’s what we paid a lot of money for,” Smith said of his £28m summer signing from Brentford.
“I knew what he was and what he was like as a person, and how he wanted to grow and get better. I thought he was outstanding tonight.”
Everton 1-2 Aston Villa: Dean Smith delighted with performance in win over Everton Woodwork woes for Villa – the stats
What next?
Everton travel to fifth-placed West Ham on Sunday, 9 May (16:30 BST) while Aston Villa are at home to Manchester United on the same day (14:05 BST).
Player of the match
WatkinsOllie Watkins
Everton
Squad number1Player namePickford
Squad number9Player nameCalvert-Lewin
Squad number12Player nameDigne
Squad number23Player nameColeman
Squad number22Player nameGodfrey
Squad number6Player nameAllan
Squad number10Player nameG Sigurdsson
Squad number21Player nameAndré Gomes
Squad number7Player nameRicharlison
Squad number17Player nameIwobi
Squad number11Player nameKing
Squad number20Player nameBernard
Squad number4Player nameHolgate
Squad number8Player nameDelph
Aston Villa
Squad number11Player nameWatkins
Squad number2Player nameCash
Squad number21Player nameEl Ghazi
Squad number26Player nameMartínez
Squad number4Player nameKonsa
Squad number18Player nameTargett
Squad number15Player nameTraoré
Squad number7Player nameMcGinn
Squad number5Player nameMings
Squad number20Player nameBarkley
Squad number41Player nameRamsey
Squad number6Player nameDouglas Luiz
Squad number39Player nameDavis
Line-ups Everton
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Pickford
23Coleman22Godfrey4Holgate12Digne
6Allan21André Gomes
17Iwobi10G Sigurdsson7Richarlison
9Calvert-Lewin
Substitutes
Aston Villa
Formation 4-2-3-1
26Martínez
2Cash4Konsa5Mings18Targett
6Douglas Luiz7McGinn
15Traoré20Barkley21El Ghazi
11Watkins
Substitutes
Live Text
Match ends, Everton 1, Aston Villa 2.
90’+4′
Second Half ends, Everton 1, Aston Villa 2.
90’+3′
Attempt blocked. Lucas Digne (Everton) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
90’+2′
Foul by Keinan Davis (Aston Villa).
90’+2′
Fabian Delph (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90’+2′
Substitution, Aston Villa. Keinan Davis replaces Anwar El Ghazi.
90′
Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90′
Foul by Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa).
90′
Allan (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
88′
Substitution, Aston Villa. Jacob Ramsey replaces Bertrand Traoré.
87′
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
87′
Jordan Pickford (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
86′
Ross Barkley (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the left wing.
86′
85′
Attempt missed. Joshua King (Everton) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Fabian Delph.
84′
Attempt missed. Bertrand Traoré (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by John McGinn.
82′
Substitution, Everton. Joshua King replaces Gylfi Sigurdsson.
80′
Goal! Everton 1, Aston Villa 2. Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Bertrand Traoré.
79′
Attempt missed. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Bernard.
77′
Offside, Aston Villa. Tyrone Mings tries a through ball, but Bertrand Traoré is caught offside.
