English Premier League
Result: Aston Villa 2-0 Everton
Date: 23 August 2019
Venue: Villa Park
Aston Villa got their Premier League campaign up and running with a 2-0 victory over Everton at Villa Park on Friday night.
The Toffees welcomed back midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin after he missed thewin over Watford due to suspension, with Jean-Philippe Gbamin missing from the previous line-up owing to injury. Meanwhile, Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi started from the bench.
After a quiet start, he hosts picked their moments to spring forward and they managed to open the scoring in the 21st minute courtesy of Wesley, who latched onto a through ball from Jota before burying the ball into the far corner.
Jack Grealish came close to doubling the lead for the hosts on the stroke of halftime, with a curling strike from the edge of the box that sailed narrowly wide of Jordan Pickford's upright.
Everton continued to struggle after the break and Silva had seen enough as he made a double substitution, bringing Iwobi for his debut in place of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Kean in place of Bernard.
Schneiderlin almost levelled matters for the visitors in the last 15 minutes after unleashing a half-volley from just outside the box that was threatening but unfortunately dipped just over the bar.
Iwobi almost snatched the equaliser for Silva’s men nine before time after rattling the upright, before Theo Walcott squandered a glorious chance after blazing over from six-yards.
Everton were made to rue that miss as Villa sealed the in second-half stoppage time as Anwar El Ghazi weaved his way into the box before calmly slotting past Pickford to wrap up the side's first win of the season.
