The match began with Everton having a great opportunity to take the lead, but Beto's inability to control the ball resulted in a shot going wide. Shortly after, Jack Grealish's directness caught the attention of the Hill Dickinson Stadium crowd, and his smart half-volley was the first shot on target from either side.
Aston Villa started to make inroads into Everton's half around the quarter-hour mark, but their attempts were often aimless, with Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers not receiving the service they needed. The hosts were more vibrant in an attacking sense, with Villa relying on their full-backs, Lucas Digne and Matty Cash, to provide some impetus to their attacking play.
Emiliano Buendia had a clear shot on goal after Jordan Pickford's mistake, but his tame effort was indicative of their afternoon up until that point. While Villa were in the ascendancy as half-time approached, there were little chances despite both teams' best efforts.
In the second half, Beto again failed to connect with a cross, while Aston Villa were able to break through the lines with relative ease, but had nobody up front to hold up play. The pattern continued, with Watkins and Buendia working hard to create openings, but Iliman Ndiaye kept the Villa back four on their toes.
The decibel levels rose significantly after Jake O'Brien and Tim Iroegbunam saw shots blocked, but the resulting corner came to nothing. A lovely cross from Grealish found Michael Keane, and his powerful headed effort would've opened the scoring, but Emiliano Martinez made a stunning save with 20 minutes left to play.
The final stages of the match were more open, with Grealish remaining the most likely to make something happen. The Grealish-Keane connection almost brought an injury-time winner, but the chance, like every other, went begging.
Aston Villa are now unbeaten in 13 PL H2Hs against Everton (W9, D4), but are awaiting their first win and goal of the season, while Everton are still unbeaten at their new ground as they attempt to make it a fortress.
Man of the Match: Jack Grealish (Everton)
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