View: 3/10 flop costs Dyche, 8/10 star shines – Everton player ratings v Aston Villa

Everton let a 2-0 lead slip for the second Premier League game running in a crushing 3-2 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday (14 September).

Under the cosh in the early stages, Sean Dyche’s side silenced Villa Park with two quick-fire goals – a fantastic strike from Dwight McNeil, before a clinical Dominic Calvert-Lewin header. Ollie Watkins cut the deficit in half with a header of his own, but the Blues held on until half-time.

After the break, both sides had chances to add further goals, but it was Jack Harrison’s mistake that allowed Watkins to score his second before an absolutely sublime strike from Jhon Duran won it for Villa with 15 minutes left.

Here, Goodison News rates the players out of 10…

Jordan Pickford – 5

Called into action several times early on, parrying a header from Konsa before making further stops to deny both Rogers and Watkins once more. Pickford could do nothing to keep out the latter’s header before half-time, and after denying Rogers with a glorious close-range save, the Blues stopper was again left clutching at thin air as Watkins and Duran completed the turnaround.

Ashley Young – 6

Coming in at right-back for the injured Seamus Coleman, the former Villa man was kept busy early on but did well to keep tabs on Ramsey. Young switched to the left-hand side following Mykolenko’s injury, going toe-to-toe with Watkins and McGinn in the second half and being booked for a late pull on the latter.

James Tarkowski – 4

Tried his best to marshal Watkins and shield the ball from the Villa striker’s dangerous runs in behind, following him all the way before blocking a shot into Pickford’s gloves. Sent a cushioned header into Martinez’s gloves in the second half, but remained under severe pressure for the rest of the match.

Michael Keane – 5

Beaten all ends up by Rogers down the flank but was key in heading crosses away amid an early onslaught by the hosts. Beaten all too easily in the air for Watkins’ opening goal, but did recover well in the second half to win a foot race with the Villa striker and slid in to prevent an overlap on the counter.

Vitalii Mykolenko – 4

Had plenty to do in the early stages as McGinn and Bogarde threatened to break forward on the right flank, but picked up an injury just 25 minutes in and had to be replaced by James Garner.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin misses key for Everton v Aston Villa

Idrissa Gueye (off for Orel Mangala, 64′) – 6

Tracked Watkins all the way into the Blues’ box and forced him into releasing a poor shot from out wide, and kept a close eye on Rogers too, with two fantastic challenges to win possession late in the first half before being withdrawn midway through the second period.

Tim Iroegbunam (off for Jesper Lindstrom, 81′) – 5

Another former Villa man, the young midfielder clipped Onana late with a reckless attempted challenge which saw him booked shortly after McNeil’s opener, and he struggled to keep pace with Villa’s relentless runs forward from midfield.

Jack Harrison (off for Jake O’Brien, 64′) – 3

Helped out Garner at the back whenever necessary and worked hard down the right flank, but a poor attempt to cut out a long ball into the box fell straight to Watkins, who punished the Toffees to make it 2-2 and a crestfallen Harrison was taken off a few minutes later.

Iliman Ndiaye (off for Beto, 81′) – 5

Struggled to get into the game early on and was booked for dissent in the wake of a Calvert-Lewin foul, but did well in the midfield battle alongside Gueye and Iroegbunam throughout the match before being withdrawn late.

Dwight McNeil – 8

Absolutely sublime early finish to find the bottom corner from 20 yards with the Toffees’ first real attempt of the game, putting them 1-0 up against the run of play. Continued his silencing of Villa Park with a pinpoint cross from a right-sided free-kick, which Calvert-Lewin steered home. McNeil almost turned provider again in the second half, but Calvert-Lewin couldn’t quite get there on two occasions.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 6

Rose above the pack to glance in McNeil’s cross from a free-kick to give the Toffees a shock 2-0 lead. Should have made it 3-1 early in the second half, but allowed too much time for Konsa and Martinez to deny him and was then inches away from an equaliser, rattling the crossbar with the Blues 3-2 down – two costly misses either side of Villa’s turnaround.

Substitutes:

James Garner (on for Vitalii Mykolenko, 26′) – 5 – Entered the fray earlier than expected at right-back but was immediately on the back foot, leaving acres of space for Digne to cross for Watkins’ header. Garner recovered in the second period, blocking a goal-bound shot from Ramsey.

Jake O’Brien (on for Jack Harrison, 64′) – 5 – Thrown in as a third centre-back in place of Harrison, O’Brien’s first task was a foot race with Watkins, in which he just about came out on top. Fared worse against Rogers, fouling the Villa forward late and being booked for his troubles.

Orel Mangala (on for Idrissa Gueye, 64′) – 5 – The Lyon loanee slotted into midfield alongside Iroegbunam to make his Toffees debut, but by then Villa were firmly in the ascendancy.

Jesper Lindstrom (on for Tim Iroegbunam, 81′) – N/A

Beto (on for Iliman Ndiaye, 81′) – N/A

In other Everton news, Dean Saunders has thrown his support behind Sean Dyche at Goodison and given a bizarre reason why.

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