Aston Villa failed to close the gap on Arsenal in the Premier League title race after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Everton at Villa Park. Thierno Barry’s second-half goal ended Villa’s 11-game home winning run and kept Arsenal seven points clear at the top.
Barry scored in the 59th minute following defensive errors by Pau Torres and Emiliano Martínez. Earlier, James Garner escaped a second yellow card for a cynical foul on Morgan Rogers near the box. Everton had a first-half goal disallowed for offside interference by Harrison Armstrong after Jake O’Brien’s header.
Villa created chances but lacked quality in the final third. Evann Guessand hit the crossbar and Morgan Rogers forced a spectacular save from Jordan Pickford. David Moyes praised his side’s execution despite absences, noting they are now just four points behind fourth-placed Liverpool and in contention for Europe.
Managers’ reactions
Unai Emery admitted Villa lost a big opportunity: “We are still not being contenders. There are other teams with more potential than us. We lost a very good opportunity to be second in the league, something really fantastic. But after feeling our frustration at losing this match, we must try and recover our good, positive way.”
David Moyes called it a magnificent win: “It has been a difficult week but they turned it around today. Coming here is never easy. We had our moments and they had theirs. Overall, I’m really happy.”
