Royal Blue Mersey - Everton at Aston Villa: Premier League Matchday 9It's a grand old team to supporthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52544/royal_fav.png2013-10-28T00:37:41+00:00http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/rss/stream/47921532013-10-28T00:37:41+00:002013-10-28T00:37:41+00:00Villa Vs. Everton: 5 Thoughts
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<figcaption>Ben Hoskins</figcaption>
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<p>Tim Howard saves the day, Lukaku wins the battle of the Belgians and Leon Osman proves his worth.</p> <p><b>1. <span>Tim Howard</span> gives a flawless performance.</b></p>
<p>A 2-0 win at Villa Park on Saturday made it two victories on the bounce for Everton, who have recovered admirably since their defeat at the Etihad three weeks ago. But while the final score suggested a fairly comfortable success against Paul Lambert's tenacious <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a> side, the result could easily have slipped beyond the Toffees before half time, were it not for a quite superb goalkeeping performance from Tim Howard.</p>
<p>Throughout the last year the American has been prone to lapses in judgement, and the arrival of <span>Joel Robles</span> this summer prompted some to speculate that he could be phased out as the Blues' number one ‘keeper this season. Within 20 minutes at the weekend however, Howard produced three vital stops: two from the hosts' danger man <span>Christian Benteke</span> - the first a brilliant penalty save - and one at the feet of Andreas Weimann, after the Villa forward had sprung the offside trap. <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> and <span>Leon Osman</span> may well have won the game for Everton in the second half, but it was Howard, and his magnificent Rick Ross beard, that kept the Toffees in it.</p>
<p><b>2. Martinez's substitutions again change the game.</b></p>
<p>The possession-based footballing philosophy that <span>Roberto Martinez</span> has introduced at Goodison Park this season has been perhaps the most obvious change in the team's style since the departure of <span>David Moyes</span>, but the Spaniard has also taken a drastically different approach to substitutions than his predecessor. Where Moyes at Everton was arguably the Premier League's most reactive manager, adjusting his tactics and personnel in response to changes in the game, Martinez embodies a far more proactive mentality.</p>
<p>Against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bracethehammer.sbnation.com/">West Ham United</a>, the introduction of Romelu Lukaku at half time inspired a come-from-behind win, and at Villa Park a Martinez substitution was again pivotal in securing an Everton victory. Leon Osman was brought on to freshen up the away side's attacking threat, and the Blues' midfielder made a telling impact, assisting Lukaku before stroking home the second goal with ten minutes to play. One wonders whether Moyes would have made the same move.</p>
<p><b>3. Osman proves his worth.</b></p>
<p>Speaking of Osman, the Englishman deserves high praise for his role in this weekend's victory. The subject of much criticism already this season - some deserved, most not - fans should know better than to discount a player who only 12 months ago was deservedly earning his first England cap at the ripe old age of 31.</p>
<p>The emergence of <span>Ross Barkley</span> has naturally meant that Osman's playing time this year has been limited, but the young playmaker is still just 19, and when his form dips, as it did against Villa, as well as when injuries take their toll on <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton's</a> relatively thin squad, the latter's experience is a great resource to draw on from the bench. Both a leader on the pitch, and an undeniably committed performer, Osman will still have an important role to play this year.</p>
<p><b>4. Lukaku wins the battle of the Belgians.</b></p>
<p>Such is the wealth of attacking options available to the Belgian national team that they are frequently forced to choose between two of the Premier League's most dangerous marksmen, both of who were in action at Villa Park this weekend. The Battle of the Belgians was led initially by Christian Benteke, who looked to have continued on from his bruising performance at Goodison Park last season by winning a penalty in the opening minutes. The striker was foiled spectacularly by Tim Howard however, and was subsequently denied again by the Everton stopper in a frantic opening passage of play.</p>
<p>Romelu Lukaku meanwhile, responded in kind with a point blank header that was parried well by Villa's Brad Guzan, before running out of steam in front of goal after surging past three defenders. The on-loan striker would have the final word though, and despite a quiet second half he still scored the crucial opener, peeling away from his marker and sweeping the ball inside Guzan's left-hand post. Benteke will no doubt rediscover his scoring touch, but with five goals in as many games, Lukaku is unquestionably the Red Devil in form.</p>
<p><b>5. McCarthy and Barry continue to flourish.</b></p>
<p>The one piece of bad news Everton received during the international break was that of a serious knee ligament injury to <span>Darron Gibson</span>, who will now likely miss the majority of the season following successful surgery last week. It's a good job then, that two excellent players are marshalling the Blues' midfield in the Irishman's absence. Deadline day signings <span>James McCarthy</span> and <span>Gareth Barry</span> have had barely half a dozen games to gel as a partnership, but they already look to be providing a fruitful combination of youth and experience in the middle of the park.</p>
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<p>Against Aston Villa, McCarthy completed 58 passes, more than anyone else, while Barry led the game in ball recoveries with 9, as well as being successful with all five of his tackles. If both can stay clear of injuries, or more likely suspensions - McCarthy was fortunate not to see red for a late tackle at the weekend - then Everton should have a strong midfield base going forward, even without the unfortunately injury-prone Gibson.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2013/10/28/5035184/everton-aston-villa-match-reviewRoss Hamilton2013-10-27T18:27:05+00:002013-10-27T18:27:05+00:00Report: Everton pull out a 2-0 win at Aston Villa
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<figcaption>Leon Osman celebrates his goal. | Ben Hoskins</figcaption>
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<p>What was billed as the Battle of the Belgians turned out to be the Altercation of the Americans as Everton left Villa Park with all three points. </p> <p>Half an hour into the game the score could have been 3-0 for the home side with all three points in the bag. However, reality has often been cruel to Paul Lambert's side this season and yesterday was no different. A combination of inaccuracy from the healthy-again <span>Christian Benteke</span> and some spectacular keeping from <span>Tim Howard</span> kept <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> still in the game. Six minutes after kickoff <span>Seamus Coleman</span> clumsily ran into Benteke's heels in the area, and referee Anthony Taylor pointed straight at the penalty spot. Taylor is not one of the Goodison faithful's favourite refs, and his latest decision was met with a howl of boos from the away crowd. The jeering turned into cheering seconds later though as Howard guessed correctly to palm away the Belgian's powerful penalty. Benteke then ran onto a through ball but shot to Howard's left and he dived to save. Villa were breaking forward with speed through Andreas Weimann and <span>Aleksandar Tonev</span>, and Weimann did get through on a one-on-one but Howard saved brilliantly again.</p>
<p>Everton for their part had chances too. Lukaku tried to slide a shot across Howard's American understudy <span>Brad Guzan</span>, but scuffed his shot for an easy save. Then Ross Barkley strode forward with purpose and fired a shot at goal which deflected off Ashley Westwood's foot, and dipped over Guzan's despairing reach, only to bounce off the bar. Soon after, <span>Kevin Mirallas</span> broke down the right and crossed but Lukaku's snap header was saved well by Guzan.</p>
<p>Halftime came, and unbelievably the score was still 0-0. Everton had enjoyed more of the possession though Villa looked at their best when they invited the Blues to attack and struck back on the counter. Everton came out looking less committed to push forward in the second half and the game got noticeably duller as chances were few and far between.</p>
<p>Blues fans have gotten used to uninspired substitutions late in the game. <span>Roberto Martinez</span> turned last week's game on its head by pulling <span>Leon Osman</span> out for <span>Steven Pienaar</span>, who scored the winner with his first touch. Martinez had another master-stroke this weekend too - the mostly ineffective Barkley was taken off and Osman came on. With England manager <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/149755/roy-hodgson">Roy Hodgson</a> watching, Osman promptly squared a ball for Lukaku to score with an opportunistic strike past Guzan.</p>
<p>With just over 25 minutes to go, Villa threw everything forward as the most played fixture in English football was starting to get away from the home side. Gabriel Agbonlahor spurned a golden chance to tie the game, shooting straight at the goalie from eight yards out. It didn't matter a few minutes later when the masterful <span>Gareth Barry</span> controlled the ball deep in the Villa box, and squared for Osman to thread through the crowd and in at the post. Game over. Barry's assist didn't tell the full tale of his dominance in this game. For the third straight game he led the Blues in passes, and has definitely softened the blow of the Toffees losing <span>Darron Gibson</span> for an extended time.</p>
<p>In their historic 215th meeting, the two teams combined to play an excellent football game with chances at both ends and some excellent goaltending to boot. In the end it took another inspired substitution to change the game and tilt it in favor of either team.</p>
<p><b>Everton:</b> Howard 7; Coleman 6, Jagielka 6, Distin 7, Baines 7.5; McCarthy 6.5, Barry 8.5; Mirallas 6.5 (Deulofeu N/A), Barkley 5.5 (Osman 8), Pienaar 6 (Naismith 5); Lukaku 7.5</p>
<p><b><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a>:</b> Guzan 6.5; Bacuna 7, Vlaar 6, Baker 6, Luna 5.5 (Clark 6.5); Tonev 5 (Helenius 6) Westwood 6, Delph 7, Weimann 6; Agbonlahor 6.5, Benteke 6.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2013/10/27/5034620/match-report-aston-villa-0-everton-2Calvin2013-10-26T15:21:04+01:002013-10-26T15:21:04+01:00Aston Villa v Everton: Live GameThread
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<figcaption>Michael Regan</figcaption>
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<p>Everton travel to Villa park to try to continue their strong start</p> <p>As usual, comment below!</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2013/10/26/5031152/aston-villa-v-everton-live-gamethreadSibiGnana2013-10-25T16:00:06+01:002013-10-25T16:00:06+01:00Everton take on the Claret and Blue at Villa Park
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<img alt="Can Everton pull out a result away from the friendly confines of Goodison?" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8cq2mx4i152NBZpG80XjvYQ3y1w=/0x92:4000x2759/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/21663435/185346684.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Can Everton pull out a result away from the friendly confines of Goodison? | Chris Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>Everton head to Villa Park looking to pick up another 3 points following last weekend's success against Hull.</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> jumped back into league play with a somewhat unimpressive performance at Goodison Park last week, but, as good teams do, managed to pull out 3 points with a gritty performance. After having so many players out on international duty in the early weeks of October, it will surely be a boon to <span>Roberto Martinez</span> to have all his players back in training, and with the squad coming close to full health. Evertonians are sure to be encouraged by <span>Steven Pienaar's</span> triumphant return last week, and his return makes the midfield as close to complete as it may very well be for the rest of the campaign. Everton sit in 7th place in the table, but just two points behind second place <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> and four points behind leaders <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal</a>.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a>, on the other hand, sit 13th currently, having taken ten points from a possible 24. Villa's fixtures through the first two and a half months have been quite difficult, playing at Arsenal, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>, and Tottenham, while hosting Chelsea and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a>. Villa won the first of these matches, a 3-1 victory at Arsenal before the Gunners signed Mesut Ozil and found their stride. The Birmingham club also came away with three points against Manchester City at the end of September, in a thrilling 3-2 match. So though the team currently sits in the bottom half of the table, Villa have proven their worth at times this season, and with their November fixture list consisting of West Ham, Cardiff, West Brom, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/">Sunderland</a>, they will likely view Saturday's match as a starting point for climbing up the table. The claret and blue, led by their own formidable Belgian striker, <span>Christian Benteke</span>, ought not to be taken lightly by the Toffees.</p>
<p><b>Team News</b></p>
<p>Now that Steven Pienaar has returned from his hamstring injury, <span>Darron Gibson</span>, Antolin Alcaraz, and Johnny Heitinga are the only remaining injury worries for Roberto Martinez's side. Gibson is out indefnitely, Alcaraz is expected to be back following the November international break, and Heitinga is 50/50 after picking up a muscle problem and sitting out last week.</p>
<p>Following a half hour cameo last week against Tottenham, Christian Benteke appears ready to return to the starting 11 this week. Greg Gardner will likely miss with a back injury, and <span>Charles N'Zogbia</span> and <span>Jores Okore</span> are both out indefinitely with injury.</p>
<p><b>Keys to the Match</b></p>
<p>Defensively, the key for Everton is obvious; they must find a way to stop Christian Benteke. The Belgian striker has 4 of the team's 9 league goals, even though he has only started five games and played six. No other Villa player has more than one goal. Much of this task may fall on <span>Sylvain Distin</span>, who may be the only Toffee that can match Benteke's strength. It will be a tough task for the 35 year old Frenchman, but if he, and the rest of the team, can shut Benteke down, they will have an excellent chance of keeping a clean sheet. It seems fair to expect Everton to possess for much of the game, as we have seen them do often this season against teams in the bottom half of the league. The re-insertion of Steven Pienaar into the lineup gives the Toffees an extra creative flair, which will hopefully help the team continue to turn the domination of possession into goals, as they did against Hull and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a>.</p>
<p>Villa will want to look to their victories against Manchester City and Arsenal for road-maps to pulling out a result against Everton. Aston Villa was out-possessed 67-33 against City and 64-36 against Arsenal but managed to score a staggering 6 goals between the two games, while only giving up 3. The claret and blue are clearly comfortable playing on the counter, and if they are given opportunities, they can easily execute and pull out the 3 points as well.</p>
<p><b>The Final Word</b></p>
<p>Aston Villa has done a good job of playing hard and staying competitive in matches like this so far this season, and Everton will need to match that intensity. The Toffees will have the majority of the ball, but that has not always been a recipe for success for Everton or against Aston Villa this season. Will they be able to turn possession into chances, and chances into goals, as they did against Hull and Newcastle? Will the defense be able to contain Villa's dangerous young goal scorer in the limited opportunities he and his team can create? Three achievable points hang on the answers to these questions.</p>
<h4>More from Royal Blue Mersey:</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2013/10/24/5022562/match-report-everton-u21s-0-0-man-united-u21s?utm_source=royalbluemersey.sbnation&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">MATCH REPORT: EVERTON U21s 0-0 MAN UNITED U21s</a></li>
<li><a href="http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2013/10/21/4861548/everton-vs-hull-city-premier-league-five-thoughts?utm_source=royalbluemersey.sbnation&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">Everton vs Hull City - Five Thoughts</a></li>
<li><a href="http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2013/10/20/4856904/match-report-everton-2-hull-city-1?utm_source=royalbluemersey.sbnation&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">Match Report: Everton 2 Hull City 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2013/10/19/4855174/everton-v-hull-cityl-live-gamethread?utm_source=royalbluemersey.sbnation&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">Everton vs. Hull City: Live GameThread</a></li>
<li><a href="http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2013/10/18/4852020/everton-vs-hull-city-premier-league-matchday-8?utm_source=royalbluemersey.sbnation&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">Everton vs. Hull City: Premier League Matchday 8</a></li>
</ul>
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https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2013/10/25/4987294/everton-aston-villa-match-previewAdam.Braun2013-10-24T17:40:19+01:002013-10-24T17:40:19+01:00Q&A: Everton take on Aston Villa
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<figcaption>Villa - Everton | Clive Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>We caught up with Kirsten Schlewitz from Aston Villa blog, <a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/" target="new">7500 To Holte</a>, to see what she thinks of their season so far and the weekend match up.</p> <div class="im" style="color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">
<h4><b>How have the first eight games been from a Villa perspective?</b></h4>
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<p>Exhilarating, terrifying and everything in between. The wins over <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arsenal</a> and <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester City</a> were fantastic, of course. Even the losses to <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea</a> and <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Liverpool</a> weren't disheartening, because the team played well, and had the chips fallen differently, Villa may have come away with a few more points. But we looked horrible against <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Newcastle</a>, and the team really didn't look so hot against Spurs last week, either.</p>
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<h4><b>What are you hoping for from the rest of the season?</b></h4>
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<p>More consistency, really. It would be nice to see this squad build on their performances rather than swinging wildly from one end of the pendulum to the other. Oh, and no relegation battle would be nice.</p>
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<h4><b>Just how good is <span>Christian Benteke</span>? And can you keep hold of him?</b></h4>
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<p>You might be asking the wrong person -- I'm not madly in love with Benteke. He's got a good eye for goal, obviously, and keeping him through the end of the season is essential, particularly when looking at our other "strikers". But when he goes -- and he will go -- it'll likely be at an inflated price. Which is just fine, as long as the funds are used wisely.</p>
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<h4><b>Is Paul Lambert the right man?</b></h4>
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<p>Can there be any one better for a team of youngsters? He's got a good eye for cheap talent and so far, seems to know how to develop it. But patience remains essential, as <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Aston Villa</a> are still in a rebuilding process, and sometimes it takes awhile for the talent Lambert finds to really assert itself.</p>
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<h4><b>And does he have the right plan?</b></h4>
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<p>For the most part, yes. Although he seems to lean too far toward a possession-based, attacking game, which is, of course, fun to watch, yet the sit-back-and-hit-on-the-<wbr></wbr>counter has actually worked better for Villa this season. And I still can't figure out why he bought <span>Libor Kozak</span>. I know I just said it's important to be patient with Lambert's picks, but Kozak isn't that young and rarely showed sparks of <i>anything </i>while at Lazio.</p>
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<h4><b>Who should we keep an eye on that we might not be familiar with?</b></h4>
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<p>Well, hopefully by now every Premier League observer is aware of <span>Fabian Delph</span>, yet he must be mentioned. The midfielder is finally turning into the player Villa supporters have hoped he'd be for years now, a box-to-box midfielder with an eye for a pass and the ability to stop an attack in its tracks (although he's not so great at evading yellow cards). Also, if <span>Aleksandar Tonev</span> gets any time, be sure to keep an eye on his shots. It's fun to count the number of rows they fly by on their way out of Villa Park.</p>
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<h4><b>How do you view <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Everton</a> under <span>Roberto Martinez</span>?</b></h4>
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<p>They've retained a lot of Moyes' defensive solidity, but Martinez has grafted on an attacking flair that Moyes is obviously not capable of. Having Romelu Lukaku probably helps too.</p>
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<h4><b>What do you think the Villa line up, and the score, will be on Saturday?</b></h4>
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<p>I think Lambert will change it up a bit on Saturday, particularly since <span>Ashley Westwood</span> gave a dismal performance. Plus, Benteke is back (we hope). This is actually stolen from WhoScored but I liked it and I want to dream big:<br>Guzan; Luna, Clark/Baker (one will most likely come in for the other after the original starter gets injured either in warm ups or 10 minutes into the match), Vlaar, Lowton; Delph, El Ahmadi; Agbolahor, Weimann, Bacuna; Benteke</p>
<p>PS -- I don't do predictions. I'm terribly superstitious. Sorry!</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2013/10/24/5024676/everton-aston-villa-preview-bloggerMaxMaz