Everton vs Aston Villa LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Buendia heads home Digne’s corner

Follow all the latest reaction from Goodison Park after Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa beat Duncan Ferguson’s Everton

Emi Buendia on the ball for Villa (AP)

Everton are taking Aston Villa at Goodison Park this afternoon as the Toffees begin life after Rafa Benitez. The Spanish manager was sacked following a dismal run of results which have left them 16th in the Premier League with only five wins all season, and it is down to caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson to arrest the slide while the club searches for a permanent replacement.

Villa meanwhile are enjoying life under Steven Gerrard, and victory today would lift them into the top half of the table at least temporarily before this afternoon’s matches. The obvious sub-plot is Gerrard vs Ferguson, two legends of Liverpool and Everton respectively going head to head on Merseyside. “I was surprised and shocked Rafa wanted to go and have a go at that job, with his legacy and his relationship with Liverpool,” Gerrard said this week. “Big Dunc will take the reins for this game and it’s quite obvious what type of reaction he’ll get. We need to be ready for that.”

Follow all the reaction from the Premier League game at Goodison Park below.

Everton vs Aston Villa

• Everton: Pickford; Kenny, Mina (c), Holgate, Godfrey; Townsend, Doucoure, Gomes, Gray; Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.
• Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings (c), Digne; McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey; Buendia, Watkins, Coutinho.
• GOAL! Buendia heads home Digne’s corner, Everton 0-1 Villa (45+2)

[22 January 2022 13:04 · Michael Jones]

Everton 0 - 0 Aston Villa

33 mins: Ollie Watkins gets back to perform some defensive duties and blocks a cross into the box from Andros Townsend. Everton’s throw in comes to Lucas Digne and he boots the ball away but only as far as Abdoulaye Doucoure.

[22 January 2022 13:02 · Michael Jones]

Everton 0 - 0 Aston Villa

30 mins: Everton defend the set piece but the ball comes out to Digne. He’s pressed by Richarlison who wins the ball and pokes it up to Doucoure. Everton fly up the pitch and have a two-on-one advantage as Doucoure and Richarlison only have a back-tracking Ramsey to deal with. Ramsey parks himself right in between the two players and stops Doucoure from playing the ball into the Everton striker. When the pass does come Martinez is out quickly to intercept.

[22 January 2022 12:59 · Michael Jones]

Everton 0 - 0 Aston Villa

27 mins: Godfrey comes to the rescue for Everton after a brilliant run from Villa right-back Matty Cash. He carries the ball down the right wing before cutting inside and laying the ball off to Buendia who’s sprinting into the box. Buendia’s first touch is a poor one and the ball gets too far away from him allowing Godfrey to nip in front and drag the ball behind for a corner.

[22 January 2022 12:55 · Michael Jones]

Everton 0 - 0 Aston Villa

24 mins: Andre Gomes takes the set piece and delivers the cross onto the head of Yerry Mina. The big centre-back flicks the ball further into the box but the ball drops to a Villa player who clears the danger.

Chance! McGinn takes the ball up the pitch and slots a fine pass over to Watkins on the inside right. He weaves inside of Mason Holgate and slips a pass into the left side of the box. Coutinho takes control of the ball and tries to dribble past Mina to open up a shot but the centre-back wins the ball with a good tackle.

[22 January 2022 12:53 · Michael Jones]

Everton 0 - 0 Aston Villa

21 mins: Lucas Digne has space to run into on the left wing but Jacob Ramsey’s pass over to him is off target and rolls straight out of play. The game is being played at a quick pace but neither side has been able to pile on the pressure in the final third.

Ben Godfrey drives down the Everton left wing but Matty Cash is onto him quickly. He slides into a tackle and sends the ball out for a corner.

[22 January 2022 12:48 · Michael Jones]

Everton 0 - 0 Aston Villa

18 mins: Close! Demarai Gray’s crossfield pass comes out to Jonjoe Kenny who threads a lovely pass into Abdoulaye Doucoure. He backheels the ball into the feet of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the striker tries to drag the ball into the Aston Villa box but runs into Tyrone Mings who comes away with the ball. Calvert-Lewin was almost in on goal there.

[22 January 2022 12:45 · Michael Jones]

Everton 0 - 0 Aston Villa

15 mins: Save! Villa work the ball down the left side and play it up to Emi Buendia. He spins inside and drives towards the box. Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate just drop off a touch which allows Buendia to shoot from outside the box and his low effort is blocked by a leaping Jordan Pickford. The Everton goalkeeper does well to keep the ball out and palm it away from Philippe Coutinho who was hovering for a rebound.

[22 January 2022 12:43 · Michael Jones]

Everton 0 - 0 Aston Villa

12 mins: Jacob Ramsey’s shirt gets torn in a midfield tussle and he has to jog off the pitch to change it. Richarlison tries to bring an aerial ball down in the Villa box but he’s hounded by the Villa defenders who do well to avoid giving away a penalty.

[22 January 2022 12:39 · Michael Jones]

Everton 0 - 0 Aston Villa

9 mins: There’s a great atmosphere around Goodison Park right now. John McGinn is throwing himself into tackles and Everton’s players are responding in kind. Richarlison sprints back to shrug Emiliano Buendia off the ball but Villa are awarded a free kick in a dangerous area.

The set piece is about 25-yards out maybe a touch further but Douglas Luiz fancies it. He strikes one at goal and gets the ball to dip on its approach. Jordan Pickford is worried for a moment and leaps up the palm it away but he withdraws his hand at the last minute and the ball lands on top of the goal.

[22 January 2022 12:36 · Michael Jones]

Everton 0 - 0 Aston Villa

6 mins: Lucas Digne’s first foray into the Everton half comes with a run down the left wing. He plays a one-two with Philippe Coutinho to squeeze into the final third but Yerry Mina is quickly across to stop his run. He wins the ball and Digne fouls the Everton captain trying to win it back.