Aston Villa collected their first Premier League points of the season as goals from Wesley and Anwar El Ghazi gave them victory over Everton.

Brazilian Wesley, who arrived from Club Bruges for a club record fee, opened his account in English football with a close-range effort from Jota’s incisive pass.

El Ghazi sealed victory late on after collecting John McGinn’s pass and sliding a shot underneath Jordan Pickford from six yards out.

The result lifts Dean Smith’s side up to 11th in the table and gives Villa their first win in the top flight since February 2016.

Substitute Alex Iwobi went closest to scoring for Everton, driving a low effort against the right-hand post at 1-0.

However, it was a largely frustrating evening for Marco Silva’s side with Theo Walcott also spurning a glorious 89th minute chance to equalise from a right-foot volley.

With four points from their opening two fixtures of the season, Everton’s undefeated start to the campaign had been constructed on their collective solidity rather than attacking verve.

However, Villa’s opening goal was a result of a breakdown in communication and a disregard of defensive duties.

Andre Gomes, who joined the Blues permanently from Barcelona in July, and Michael Keane were both culpable.

Caught out of position by Jack Grealish’s quickly taken free-kick, the Portugal midfielder allowed Jota both the time and space to slide a pass through the Everton defence.

Keane’s sluggish reaction then compounded matters, with the England defender allowing Wesley to run across him and put the ball past a helpless Pickford from seven yards.

While Silva’s side were slick in possession, there was a noticeable absence of attacking threat to their play.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin wasted a glorious opportunity to equalise at 1-0, firing a shot straight at Villa’s Belgian defender Bjorn Engels.

And while the second-half introduction of Moise Kean, Iwobi and Walcott provided more thrust and pace, the latter’s late miss with the goal gaping summed up an evening in which they only managed a single shot on target.

Jota and McGinn excel for Villa

Successive defeats have delivered a tough period of acclimatisation for Aston Villa who returned to the top flight this summer after three years in the Championship.

With individual errors rather than poor performances depriving Villa of points, this fixture was a test of their nerve and concentration.

Repeatedly cut open in the early stages, Smith’s side found discipline and shape before Jota was the catalyst for an upturn in their fortunes.

Exerting his influence from the right, the 28-year-old Spaniard’s presence of mind and ability to retain possession halted Everton’s dominance.

A delicious pass to Wesley brought the opening goal and three minutes later he again carved the visiting defence apart, sliding the ball behind Keane and Yerry Mina to create another opening for the Brazilian.

Not to be outdone his fellow midfielder McGinn produced a superbly weighted pass for El Ghazi’s goal in added time.

Man of the match - Jota (Aston Villa)

*Aston Villa manager Dean Smith told BBC Sport:*

”I am more pleased to get the first points in the Premier League. Our performances have been OK, Tottenham was tough first up and we were good for an hour. We played well against Bournemouth and from the supporters there is a lot of optimism. They stuck right behind us. Everton started brighter but it was a good performance to get the win.

“We have had a bit of fortune, they have missed two big chances form inside the box and Theo Walcott shot over. I always felt we were a threat on the counter and we broke at pace. They play a higher line and we used that well.”
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*The Guardian*
*Friday 23 August 2019*

“Wesley and El Ghazi sink Everton to get Aston Villa up and running”

It turns out Dean Smith was right to call for some perspective. “What are we coming to if we’re judging players after two games?” asked the Aston Villa manager on the eve of this match in response to questions about the performances of Wesley, the club-record signing, in particular. Little more than 24 hours later, the Brazilian striker registered his first goal in English football and Villa’s season was up and running courtesy of a gritty victory over a disappointing Everton side.

After starting the season with back-to-back defeats, following a summer when the club spent £127m on 12 new signings, this felt like a hugely significant result for Villa. Smith may not harbour any doubts about the ability of Wesley or any of the other new faces at the club, but the outside noise would have become a little louder if Villa had come away from this game still looking for their first points of the season.

Instead it was the home supporters who found their voice on a balmy summer evening under the floodlights at Villa Park that ended with the Midlands club celebrating a first Premier League victory since February 2016. Villa had lost 14 of their previous 15 top-flight matches and it will be a relief to everyone connected with the club that they can finally put that miserable record to bed.

It was not as comfortable as the scoreline suggests and Everton will go away wondering how Theo Walcott, a late substitute, failed to convert a gilt-edged chance in the 90th minute. Moise Kean, who also came off the bench, created that opportunity and beat the ground in frustration as Walcott’s shot flashed over the bar.

With Alex Iwobi hitting the upright before that Walcott miss, Villa were desperate to hear the final whistle. As it happens, they grabbed a second in the final minute of injury time when Anwar El Ghazi, another substitute, slipped the ball past Jordan Pickford after being set up by the indefatigable John McGinn. Finally, Villa could breathe easily.

“It’s a monkey off everyone’s back, that first win in the Premier League,” Smith said. “It was a tough game because they’re a good team and I thought they started brighter than we did, they were first to the ball for the opening 10 minutes and it looked like it could be a long night. But I think the first goal galvanised the whole stadium and there was an awful lot of belief in the players after that.”

It was a special moment in particular for Wesley. The Brazilian cost £22m when he joined from Brugge and he had struggled to make much impression against Spurs or Bournemouth, prompting some to wonder where the goals would come from in this Villa side. Wesley’s right boot provided the answer in the 21st minute following a lovely pass from Jota and some quick thinking from Jack Grealish.

“I’m not so sure there was such a weight on his shoulders as people have made out,” Smith said, when asked about Wesley. “He’s a good striker, I’ve said that right from the start. I watched him for a long period at Brugge, he’s scored goals in the Champions League. The No 9 shirt at Aston Villa is a big shirt to carry. I’m not sure he’ll understand why, but I thought he looked like a very good old-fashioned No 9 for Aston Villa tonight.”

As for Everton, it was a case of what might have been. They had the ball for long periods, enjoying 65% possession away from home, but lacked conviction in front of goal. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who started alone up front, wasted a presentable chance just after the half-hour mark, after being set up by Séamus Coleman, and in some ways that was a sign of things to come.

Wesley had scored about 10 minutes earlier, leaving Marco Silva, the Everton manager, lamenting the way that his team lost concentration after André Gomes brought down Jack Grealish. The Villa midfielder took the free-kick quickly, releasing Frédéric Guilbert, the right-back, just inside the Everton half and suddenly the visitors were wide open. Guilbert moved the ball on to Jota, who cleverly drifted in from the right before expertly sliding a pass in to the path of Wesley. With the angle slightly against him, Wesley steered a low shot into the far corner and Villa Park erupted.

Silva was right to point out that it was Villa’s first attack and also to highlight the opportunities that Everton carved out, yet the reality is that his side registered only one shot on target all evening and too many of their players flattered to deceive. “It was not the best performance, for sure,” Silva said. “But when you looked at the chances we created, I think we deserved something more.”

Dean Smith: Aston Villa boss says club drawing on togetherness

*Aston Villa showed their “togetherness” in picking up their first Premier League points of the season by beating Everton, says manager Dean Smith.*

Villa finished bottom in 2015-16 and spent three years in the Championship before earning promotion in 2018-19.

They had started this season with back-to-back defeats against Tottenham and Bournemouth before Friday’s 2-0 win.

“It has been six months of hard work and a group of players who are working hard for the shirt,” said Smith.

Club record signing Wesley, bought from Club Bruges for £22m in the summer, and Anwar El Ghazi scored the goals at Villa Park for the home side’s first triumph in the top flight since February 2016.

Former Brentford boss Smith said: “We are in the Premier League after a 10-match winning run in the Championship and winning in the play-off final. There is a togetherness with all off us and the noise is great to hear.

“I am more pleased to get the first points in the Premier League. Our performances have been OK, Tottenham was tough first up and we were good for an hour.

“We played well against Bournemouth and from the supporters there is a lot of optimism. They stuck right behind us.

“I don’t think there is any extra expectations from the supporters. We have a really good bond.”