Villa on brink as Walcott header hits survival bid
ASTON VILLA have been spared once by goal-line technology since football resumed a month ago. It was not to save them again here.
The goal that never was for Sheffield United at Villa Park was the most noteworthy incident of day one of Project Restart and gave Dean Smith’s Villa team a point they hoped would prove valuable.
Here on Merseyside, though, the tables turned and it feels as though Villa will now pay a heavy price. They were heading for three points until they were sunk with only two minutes to go.
Leading through Ezri Konsa’s first Villa league goal — poked in with a little over 20 minutes to go — Villa were seeking back-to-back wins and it looked as though they may do it.
But when the game’s best player, Everton midfielder Andre Gomes, slung a cross deep to the far post, substitute Theo Walcott headed the ball high back across goal.
There was little power in the header and it seemed to hang in the air for ever. But the ball’s flight was too much for goalkeeper Pepe Reina and, as it dropped under the bar, Konsa was left to try to volley it clear in mid-air.
It seemed for a split second as though he had done it, but this time the watch on referee Anthony Taylor’s wrist buzzed to tell him to award the goal and, in that cruel moment, three Villa points had become one.
Credit must go to Everton. After being publicly criticised by their manager Carlo Ancelotti in the wake of defeat at Wolves, they were far from convincing here.
But they did at least have the gumption to keep going after they fell behind. They raised their levels late on.
This was not a game of many chances. In fact, both teams scored with their only effort on target. But it was a better game than that. Villa, encouraged by a win over Crystal Palace last time out, were decent all night and would have won had Anwar El Ghazi not managed to volley a Jack Grealish cross over the bar from about a yard, shortly after Konsa’s goal. That was arguably a bigger moment than the Walcott equaliser that followed.
Smith said: ‘If that goes in it’s game over. But now we look as though we will have to win our last two games. But we are not out of it. I can see the fight in the players.’
Villa have Arsenal at home next, then finish their season at rivals West Ham. There may yet be another twist. But this felt like a big night.
Villa began slowly and for 10 or 15 minutes, Gomes looked as though he may pick them to pieces with his passing. But Everton’s early promise fizzled out and for the next hour, Villa were marginally the better side. Their problem is that they lack penetration up front.
Striker Ally Samatta headed a good chance over in the first half and then captain Grealish — poor by his standards since the restart — dragged a shot carelessly wide of the near post after being picked out superbly by John McGinn early in the second period.
The goal — in the 72nd minute — was a strange one. The free-kick from the right from Conor Hourihane seemed to be destined for Villa substitute Keinan Davis and, as he flung himself at it, Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford dived to his right anticipating contact. Davis missed the ball by a fraction, however, and Konsa, coming in behind him, was able to poke it in to the empty goal.
Villa only had to survive 20 minutes but they couldn’t do it, striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin almost scoring moments before Walcott did.
Ancelotti said: ‘I think we could do better in the final third but at the end we didn’t want to lose as we wanted to keep our good home record. We were able to do that with the spirit.’
Everton are already looking at next season. Villa may be gone by then. The only comfort available to them this morning is that two rivals, West Ham and Watford, meet tonight. At least they can’t both win.
EVERTON (4-4-2): Pickford 6; Coleman 6, Keane 6, Holgate 6 (Branthwaite 15min, 7), Digne 6.5; Iwobi 6 (Walcott 61, 7), Davies 6.5 (Sigurdsson 74), GOMES 8, Bernard 7 (Gordon 61, 6); Calvert-Lewin 6, Richarlison 6 (Kean 73, 6). Subs not used: Stekelenburg, Virginia, Baines, Sidibe. Scorer: Walcott 87. Booked: Digne, Richarlison. Manager: Carlo Ancelotti 6.5. ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Reina 6; Elmohamady 6, Konsa 7, Mings 6.5, Targett 6; McGinn 6.5, Luiz 7.5; Hourihane 6, Trezeguet 6.5 (El Ghazi 63, 6), Grealish 6.5; Samatta 6 (Davis 63, 6). Subs not used: Nyland, Lansbury, Nakamba, Jota, Guilbert, Vassilev, Hayden. Scorer: Konsa 72. Booked: Elmohamady. Manager: Dean Smith 7. Referee: Anthony Taylor 6.