Match snapshot
This was the kind of nil‑nil that leaves one side feeling short-changed. Everton, brighter for long stretches and backed by a loud home crowd at Hill Dickinson Stadium, pushed the game, carried the threat, and still walked away with a point. Aston Villa under Unai Emery were organised, stubborn, and happy to slow the tempo when it suited them. It worked. David Moyes’ team, winners in two of their first three, had to settle for a draw that felt like more was on the table.
Moyes kept faith with the core that delivered those early wins, making just one tweak. With Vitalii Mykolenko sidelined, James Garner slid across to left-back, and Tim Iroegbunam came into midfield. The shape stayed familiar: secure at the back, eager to break lines through the middle, and direct when space appeared. It was a sensible plan against an Emery side that loves structure and punishes sloppy transitions.
Across the 90, the standout was clear. Iliman Ndiaye, a pre-match doubt, looked the freshest player on the pitch. He drove at Villa’s full-backs, turned pressure into free-kicks, and opened passing lanes that weren’t there a second earlier. He created two chances and completed more successful dribbles than anyone else, finishing three from six attempts. It wasn’t a day for end product, but it was a day that showed why Everton rebuffed a £40 million bid from Inter Milan in the summer.
Everton’s best moments flowed through Ndiaye: one-on-one bursts, quick give-and-go moves, and those little touches that spin a defender the wrong way. The issue was what followed. The final pass wasn’t always there, the box wasn’t packed with runners, and crosses that needed a first-time finish often landed on the second bounce. When the edges of a plan are this sharp and the centre is blunt, you get a stalemate.
Villa did what Villa do: they kept their distances tight, cut off angles into the striker’s feet, and made Everton recycle. When they broke out, it was measured rather than wild. Jordan Pickford had routine work, not heroics. The centre‑backs dealt with the balls they had to, second balls were contested, and the biggest danger often came from set pieces. Neither side put up a barrage. It was a game of control, not chaos.
Tactically, Moyes’ gamble with Garner at left-back was more about build-up than overlap. From that side, Everton could step into midfield and switch play without coughing up turnovers. On the right, the full-back stayed a touch deeper to guard Villa’s counters. In midfield, Iroegbunam kept things tidy and let Amadou Onana hunt duels higher. The balance looked fine. The missing piece was a ruthless edge inside the area.
Player ratings and tactical notes
- Jordan Pickford — 6/10: Clean handling, calm under pressure, and solid positioning. Didn’t face a flurry of shots, and his distribution was safer than ambitious. Did the basics and kept concentration.
- Nathan Patterson — 6/10: Up-and-down outlet on the right without much joy in behind. Defensively alert when Villa tried to spring transitions down his flank. Delivery from advanced areas fluctuated.
- James Tarkowski — 7/10: Commanded the line, attacked first balls, and won his share in the air. Read Villa’s direct passes early and organised those around him. A steady anchor in a scrappy game.
- Jarrad Branthwaite — 7/10: Composed with and without the ball. Timed interventions well, stepped in to break lines, and made one crucial recovery when space opened centrally. Rarely flustered.
- James Garner — 5/10: A midfielder doing a job at left-back. Secure in build-up and neat under pressure, but limited overlapping and conservative with crosses. Didn’t get exposed, yet couldn’t add much thrust.
- Amadou Onana — 6/10: Won duels and snapped into tackles to keep Villa honest, but tempo-setting was uneven. There were good carries into space; the final ball didn’t quite land.
- Tim Iroegbunam — 6/10: Kept the ball moving and protected the back four. Safe choices more than incisive ones, which fit the task. Grew into the game as the midfield battle tightened.
- Abdoulaye Doucouré — 5/10: Found pockets but didn’t punish them. One or two promising breaks fizzled out with a heavy touch or a slow release. Energy without the killer action.
- Dwight McNeil — 4/10: This was the off-day. Worked hard tracking back but rarely beat his man, and deliveries drifted without finding a blue shirt. When space appeared, the execution didn’t match the opening.
- Iliman Ndiaye — 8/10 (Player of the Match): Everton’s spark. Two chances created, three dribbles completed, and relentless in drawing fouls. The direct running unsettled Villa’s shape. The finish was missing, but the influence wasn’t.
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin — 5/10: Battled centre-backs and made the near‑post darts, yet service was sporadic. A couple of half-chances came and went. Couldn’t impose himself in the box as the game tightened.
- Substitutes — 5/10: Introduced late and couldn’t tilt the rhythm. Fresh legs helped hold territory more than break Villa’s line. No real swing moments from the bench.
- Manager: David Moyes — 6/10: Sensible structure, logical tweak with Garner at left-back, and a clear plan to isolate Ndiaye wide. Changes came a touch late for those chasing a winner, but the baseline performance was solid.
As contests go, this was a reminder of how fine margins shape early-season narratives. Everton looked secure, organised, and closer to the team they want to be. They won the territory they needed and protected their box. What they lacked was the last pass, the third-man run, or a cutback that pulled a defender the wrong way. When that piece clicks, these games stop being near-misses and start being routine wins.
There were positives beyond the obvious. The centre-back pairing continues to look reliable, which is the foundation Moyes leans on. Iroegbunam’s inclusion didn’t disrupt the rhythm; it added a bit of ballast. Garner showed he can cover at left-back without the structure breaking. And in Ndiaye, Everton have a forward in stride, fit enough after a scare to go full tilt and brave enough to take the ball under pressure.
Villa deserve credit for making it awkward. They slowed Everton’s tempo, cut off easy entries into Calvert-Lewin, and used their experience to lean on dead balls and restarts when the game tilted. It wasn’t expansive, but it was effective enough to leave with something.
The draw halts Everton’s surge on paper, but not the underlying progress. The performances against Brighton and Wolves showed punch. This one showed control. Blend the two, and the points will follow. For now, the headline belongs to Ndiaye, and the homework sits with the attacking unit that needs sharper timing inside the penalty area.
One more thread worth tugging: the summer decision to keep Ndiaye already looks wise. Turning down a sizeable offer can sting if the player stalls. Here, the opposite. He’s setting the tone, lifting the crowd, and forcing opponents to adjust. If the finishing around him catches up, Everton’s early optimism won’t feel fragile at all.
Attention now shifts to the next league test and what tweaks Moyes makes in the final third. The platform is sturdy; the plan is clear. Add cleaner final actions, keep Ndiaye on the ball in dangerous spots, and the table will start reflecting the performances more than the scoreline did today.