Dominic Calvert-Lewin continues to shine as he scored again to help Everton secure a surprising victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park, advancing to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. This triumph comes as a shock considering Everton’s previous disastrous performance at the same venue last month.
In August, Everton suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa, which resulted in Calvert-Lewin being jeered off by his own fans. However, the talented Englishman redeemed himself by smoothly converting his team’s second goal after netting in their match against Brentford on Saturday.
Despite their poor showing in their previous encounter, Everton showcased a newfound confidence after securing their first win in the Premier League this season. Sean Dyche‘s side took advantage of Villa’s lackluster performance and rightly knocked them out of the competition, setting up a last-16 tie against Burnley.
The match’s opening goal came from a mistake by Everton’s former goalkeeper, Robin Olsen, as he made a poor kick. Amadou Onana capitalized on this error and delivered the ball into the box, allowing James Garner to fire home a finish at the near post. Garner, a former Manchester United player, was impressive throughout the game, and although he could have scored another, his effort from outside the area sailed over the crossbar.
Everton dominated the game and had a chance to extend their lead before halftime. However, Olsen redeemed himself by making a sharp and instinctive save to deny an own goal from Villa’s skipper, John McGinn
The second goal for Everton came in the 50th minute when Calvert-Lewin intercepted a pass in midfield. He dashed through the defense and calmly rolled the ball past Olsen, boosting his goal tally for the season. This goal brought joy to Everton’s long-suffering supporters who had little to celebrate this season. The 4,300 traveling fans danced and chanted in the stands, finally witnessing a positive performance from their team.
Villa had some attempts at goal, with Youri Tielemans striking the ball from the edge of the box, only for it to hit the roof of the net. Jordan Pickford, Everton’s goalkeeper, made two excellent saves to deny Moussa Diaby, displaying his agility and prowess in front of the goal.
In the final minutes of the match, substitute Boubacar Kamara managed to find the back of the net, albeit with a deflection, creating a tense finish. However, the hosts could not find the equalizer and were met with a flat atmosphere, as large sections of empty seats overshadowed their efforts.
This defeat not only marked the end of Villa’s 10-game winning streak at home but also put an end to their five-game winning streak against Everton.
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