Silva: Need to score when you create clear chances

Marco Silva was left as frustrated as the Everton fanbase after the poor loss at Aston Villa.

The Blues weren’t at their best, with Andre Gomes putting in a shocking performance in the middle of the park, but he was not the only one. Numerous players up and down the lineup failed to show up when top spot in the Premier League was beckoning, just like when last season the Toffees travelled to Fulham where a win would have blown open the race for 7th place and a Europa League spot.

Speaking after the game, the manager was disappointed the Blues failed to score.

“My first feeling is we did not achieve what we deserved. We started well, when you play away and create three or four clear chances and don’t score the result will not be the best.

“We have to be more clinical. We have played two away games and created six or seven clear chances but not scored.

“We improved in terms of chances created in this game. But you have to be more clinical.

“I believe and expect we will start to score more in the next games because we are creating the chances.

“The players have tried everything, their attitude was there and it is up to us to score.”

While these two expected goals (xG) models seem to vary on the quality of chances VIlla created, they are pretty much in agreement that the Toffees did enough to score.

The Blues certainly created some good looks - Seamus Coleman’s cutback into the box was criminally fired into a mass of defenders by Dominic Calvert-Lewin when an open goal beckoned. Second half substitutes Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott also came close, with Iwobi hitting the post while Walcott blazed wide when he had the time to control and place a cross into the box late on. Deep into time added on Lucas Digne also scooped a shot over before Villa scored their second on a quick counter.

Silva also rued the lapse of concentration across the side that saw Jack Grealish take a quick freekick in his own half, ending up with Wesley beating Jordan Pickford at the far post for the first goal.

“We started this game like we planned and had a chance from a corner with Lucas Digne.

“The first time they went in our box they scored. We were aware they try to play fast free kicks but we lost our focus and they created the chance.

”In our defensive organisation, we should have gone with the striker’s move. You have to keep your focus for 95 minutes, not just for some parts of the game.

“But we reacted and created a clear chance for Dominic.”

He also explained his choice of formation after making three attacking substitutions after the hour mark.

“In the first half we created more than Villa and we controlled the second half, when it was not easy to play against them with nine players around their box. But they were winning and that is normal.

“We changed to 4-4-2 and started to cause more problems, we hit the post then had a big chance with Theo Walcott.

“It wasn’t just possession, we created more chances, had so many corners and more shots… I think we deserved something more.

“But when you create chances and don’t score, the result will not be the best.”

Silva did clarify that he wasn’t necessarily saying the Blues did enough to win either.

“I’m not saying it was a good performance.

”It’s difficult for me when we lost a football match to say the performance was good, and I didn’t say that.

“We had the possession and created three clear chances to score. It was not the best performance.”