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The second coming of David Moyes failed to inspire Everton on Wednesday as they lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa after another toothless Premier League performance.
Villa had lost their last five away games in the league but were by far the better team at Goodison Park and took the points via Ollie Watkins‘ 51st-minute goal.
Moyes, back at the club he left in 2013 after the sacking of Sean Dyche last week, got a close-up view of the massive challenge he faces as Everton struggled for accuracy and ideas all night to make it one win in 12 league games, during which time they have failed to score in nine of them.
That drought never looked like lifting on Wednesday and they remain two places and one point above the relegation zone, while Villa move up to seventh, level on points with Manchester City.
Moyes is Everton’s ninth permanent manager since he left the club after 11 relatively successful years to join Manchester United but, if anyone was expecting an immediate transformation in approach after the dour fare served up under Dyche, they were soon disappointed.
It was a curiously subdued atmosphere at the ground and Everton quickly slipped into their default mode this season – cautious, careful and lacking any notable attacking intent.
It was Villa who took the initiative as Jordan Pickford saved well from Morgan Rogers, James Tarkowski made a desperate block to deny Youri Tielemans and Watkins then shot wide after seizing on a poor Ashley Young backpass.
Everton managed their first attempt on goal after half an hour when Dominic Calvert-Lewin ran on to an excellent Vitalii Mykolenko pass but, befitting a centre forward with two goals to his name this season, dragged his shot wide.
Calvert-Lewin went close again after the team’s best move of the half but his off-balance shot was cleared off the line by Boubacar Kamara and Villa then missed another great opportunity when Jacob Ramsey lashed a shot just past the post with the last action before halftime.
Watkins put Villa ahead six minutes after the restart when he was left in too much space to run on to a Rogers through ball and slot low past Pickford.
The goal shook the home fans into life but the players were disjointed and inaccurate. Their best chance came in stoppage time, but Calvert-Lewin side-footed a bobbling ball over the bar.
“It was a tricky match, they made it difficult and the atmosphere was top but we ground it out,” Watkins said.
“We could have been a bit more clinical in the first half and it’s a deserved three points. I had a chance in the first half but you have to keep going. You have to keep your mind in the game.”
Villa boss Unai Emery was also a happy man. “We competed very well, we had some clear chances and conceded only one really,” he said.
“We didn’t have quite the same control in the second half but the clean sheet was important and it was important we ended this run [of away defeats].”
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