So, there we have it. Unai Emery’s first goalless draw in English league football. It has taken the Spaniard 97 games to oversee a match without a goal during his time as manager at Arsenal and now Aston Villa and it came in a match against Everton that hardly set the pulses racing.
The Villa manager’s run might have continued had Alex Moreno’s 18th-minute strike not been ruled out for offside, Dominic Calvert-Lewin showed more conviction with his one-on-one effort and a little composure came with the handful of late chances that saw the game finish with a slight crescendo.
What will be most concerning for Sean Dyche is that Calvert-Lewin squandered the best of those openings and it is now 13 games in which his striker has failed to score. As a whole, Everton have fallen into a goal void as this was their third successive outing without scoring.
Dyche’s team still find themselves looking over their shoulder. They remain a point above the relegation zone and although this halted a run of three successive league defeats, it continued a run of underwhelming performances.
A draw was not enough for Villa to go level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool, but did see them join second-placed Manchester City.
Story of the game
Everton were lifted by the return of Abdoulaye Doucoure after a five-game absence with a hamstring injury during which they failed to register a win.
Dyche was also able to call on Calvert-Lewin after common sense prevailed and his red card was rescinded but Dwight McNeil, who went off injured in that FA Cup draw with Crystal Palace, was only fit enough to start on the bench.
Seamus Coleman led Everton on a landmark day as the 35-year-old captain made a club record 355th Premier League appearance, only highlighting further what a bargain his signing for £60,000 was in 2009.
Villa were without Jacob Ramsey because of injury but Emery was able to restore the majority of his league regulars after advancing in the FA Cup; that included Ollie Watkins, who has been involved in 22 of his team’s 43 top-flight goals this term.
Emery’s side swatted Everton aside 4-0 earlier this season in the previous instalment of English football’s most played league fixture but were put under early pressure here from their hosts who sought the upper hand.
An early opening fell for Arnaut Danjuma but the forward could not connect properly with his shot. The loanee, who has reportedly had interest from Lyon this week, was also released down the left by Jarrad Branthwaite but his accurate cross towards Doucoure was intercepted by Moreno.
Villa had started rather sluggishly but Watkins shooting straight at Jordan Pickford from a tight angle served notice of them growing into the game. Five minutes later the visitors had the ball past the Everton goalkeeper but a lengthy VAR check ruled it out for offside.
A short corner was worked to Moreno on the edge of the Everton area and the full back chested the ball down and sweetly struck a shot into the bottom corner. However, Leon Bailey was not played onside Danjuma, who was floored at the back post, and a drawn-out VAR check disallowed the goal.
That tight call certainly ignited Villa who were on top for the rest of the half. Watkins’s shot dribbled across goal but Villa came again with Bailey drilling a low effort that Pickford had to palm away to safety.
Yet, despite not seeing much of the ball, the best chance before the break came for Everton but only served to showcase Calvert-Lewin’s current lack of confidence.
Danjuma played a lovely ball through to the Everton centre-forward with the outside of his boot to send him one-on-one with Emiliano Martinez. However, the finish lacked conviction and the Villa ‘keeper spread himself well to deny the effort. Martinez then made an arguably better stop to parry James Garner’s follow-up shot.
A nasty head collision between Vitaliy Mykolenko and James Tarkowski, who had already been whacked in the eye, was the most noteworthy incident in what was a scrappy start to the second half but after treatment, both were able to continue.
When a game broke out again it was, for a moment at least end to end. John McGinn whipped a shot wide of Pickford’s post then down the other end, Danjuma flashed an effort wide after being picked out by Jack Harrison.
Dyche swapped Calvert-Lewin for Beto just after an hour and McNeil also came on for Danjuma. Emery also made a double change, sending on Youri Tielemans and Jhon Duran for Moussa Diaby and Bailey.
A series of tackles with the opposing team seeking retribution made for a stop-start period and neither side benefitted from it — not least the onlookers who were left hoping for some proper action.
There was some late drama but Villa could not make use of a penalty area scramble with a mixture of Mykolenko and Coleman clearing for Everton. Villa substitutes Matty Cash and Duran combined but the latter could not turn in the former’s cross.
A late surge by Doucoure saw him smash the ball into the net but the midfielder had been offside. It was that kind of game — and a new experience in the Premier League for Emery.
Player of the match: Jordon Pickford
The Everton 'keeper made four saves and did particularly well to get down low to keep out Leon Bailey's shot late in the first half.
It was a game when both team's attack misfired a little and the defences came out on top.
