No matchup in English football history has been played more often than this H2H, and this, the 210th meeting, was nearly greeted with an early goal.
Ollie Watkins, was played in behind the defence by a delightful ball from Boubacar Kamara, but his effort was thwarted by the onrushing Jordan Pickford.
The raucous crowd inside Goodison soon roared Everton into the ascendancy, and their direct attacking was causing problems for a Villa side who had conceded at least three goals in each of their last three PL games.
Emiliano Martínez made a superb save to deny Amadou Onana’s header, before the Argentinian shot-stopper was called into action to deny Neal Maupay to ensure scores were level at the break.
Sean Dyche’s side had been on top for large portions of the first half, but their goalscoring woes continued to blight them.
With pressure continuing to mount, the Toffees came agonisingly close to taking the lead in bizarre circumstances. Alex Iwobi’s shot was drifting wide before it was accidentally blocked by a stricken defender.
His touch looped it over Martínez and into the path of Maupay at the back post, but his effort from point-blank range was blocked on the line by Tyrone Mings.
England internationals were lining up to save their side from falling behind. At the other end, Lucas Digne’s cross found Watkins, but his header toward the far corner was remarkably tipped onto the post and away by Pickford.
There’d be nothing he could do to keep his side level soon afterwards though, as Watkins rifled a clinical penalty past Pickford after Idrissa Gueye felled John McGinn inside the box.
The Toffees’ paltry return of 17 goals scored from their previous 23 games hardly inspired hope of a comeback, and so it proved as Villa held on to continue their superb away form, winning four of their last five PL road trips.
Emiliano Buendía’s late strike put the icing on the cake for the visitors, as his sublime footwork saw him drift past Conor Coady and rifle home at the near post to put the seal on a fourth consecutive H2H victory. Dyche's side sank to 17th, only above the drop zone on goal difference.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa)
