September 28, (THEWILL) – Everton continued their recent upturn in form with a deserved 2-1 Carabao Cup victory away at Aston Villa. Goals from James Garner and Dominic Calvert-Lewin fired the Toffees into the fourth round, despite a late strike from Boubacar Kamara giving the scoreline a slightly flattering look for the hosts.
Everton deservedly led at the break after Garner lashed in his first goal for the club following good work from Amadou Onana and Arnaut Danjuma. The visitors controlled the first half as Villa looked anxious and failed to clear their lines. Olsen denied Calvert-Lewin soon after, before the striker doubled Everton’s lead early in the second period after capitalising on a Tielemans mistake.
Kamara set up a nervy finish with a deflected strike late on, and Pickford saved well from Diaby in added time. But it was too little too late for the hosts as Everton held on.
Villa had thrashed Everton 4-0 in the English Premier League last month, but Sean Dyche’s side have begun mounting a recovery after a dismal start to the campaign. Back-to-back wins for the first time under Dyche will buoy the Toffees, with winnable home games against Luton and Bournemouth up next in the league.
For Villa, who last won a major trophy in 1996, it was another underwhelming display as they struggled for consistency despite beating Chelsea 1-0 last Sunday. Unai Emery’s men remain on the fringes of the elite and will need improved performances to break into the top six.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
