Everton secured a stunning 1-0 triumph at Villa Park on Sunday evening, with Thierno Barry’s delightful 59th-minute finish dealing a significant blow to Aston Villa’s Premier League title aspirations.
The visitors capitalised on a calamitous defensive sequence from the hosts, as Pau Torres surrendered possession with a careless touch near his own penalty area before Emi Martinez compounded the error by failing to gather Dwight McNeil’s subsequent strike.
Barry pounced on the loose ball and produced an exquisite chip to silence the home supporters.
The defeat proved particularly costly for Unai Emery’s side, who squandered a golden opportunity to gain ground on their rivals after both Arsenal and Manchester City had dropped points the previous day.
The opening goal stemmed from two consecutive errors that will leave Emery furious with his players.
Torres gave the ball away cheaply on the edge of his own box, showing a poor first touch despite facing minimal pressure from the Everton attack.
McNeil seized upon the mistake and attempted to curl his effort into the far corner, but the shot lacked both pace and power.
Martinez, however, could only parry the ball back into danger rather than holding what should have been a routine save.
Everton secured a stunning 1-0 triumph at Villa Park on Sunday evening
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Barry reacted quickest to the rebound and demonstrated remarkable composure under pressure, lifting the ball delicately over the stranded goalkeeper and into the net.
The away supporters erupted while Villa Park fell into stunned silence.
Pickford produced the save of the match in the 72nd minute when Rogers appeared certain to equalise.
The England midfielder struck a curling effort from the edge of the area that seemed destined for the top corner, only for the Everton goalkeeper to somehow get across and tip the ball over the crossbar.
Barry lifted the ball delicately over the stranded goalkeeper and into the net
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Garner was instrumental throughout the contest, dominating the midfield battle despite walking a disciplinary tightrope after receiving an early booking for fouling Emi Buendia.
The midfielder made crucial tackles and interceptions in front of his back four whilst also driving his team forward in possession.
He was perhaps fortunate to remain on the pitch after escaping what appeared to be a clear second yellow card for pushing Rogers to the ground in the second half.
Villa’s failure to capitalise on their rivals’ slip-ups represents a hugely disappointing outcome for Emery’s squad.
The Toffees now find themselves just a single point behind Sunderland, Newcastle and Brentford
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The result brought an end to their remarkable run of 11 consecutive home victories at Villa Park.
The Midlands club remain level on points with Manchester City but trail on goal difference, sitting seven points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side at the summit.
The victory propelled David Moyes’s Everton into the top half of the table, climbing to 10th position ahead of both Fulham and Brighton.
The Toffees now find themselves just a single point behind Sunderland, Newcastle and Brentford.
Villa also suffered an early setback when captain John McGinn was forced off with a knee injury after just 18 minutes, adding to their midfield concerns.
