No one connected with Aston Villa or Everton could complain at a lack of entertainment but it is Arsenal who will take the greatest satisfaction from this result. An absorbing encounter produced six goals and no shortage of controversy yet for Villa and Everton the sobering reality is that one point is not enough to keep Arsenal and qualification for the Champions League in sight. Fifth and sixth place and the Europa League looks like being as good as it will get for these clubs.
Everton could not have made a better start. Two goals inside the opening 23 minutes left Villa gasping for breath as the visitors exposed the weaknesses in a fragile defence that has now conceded two goals or more in their last seven matches. Marouane Fellaini grabbed the first, prodding over the line after Zat Knight's sliding challenge had succeeded only in diverting the ball into the path of Leighton Baines who guided a low cross into the six-yard box for the record signing to convert his fourth goal in five matches.
Worse was to come for Villa four minutes later when Tim Cahill wriggled clear of Curtis Davies before heading Steven Pienaar's corner against the crossbar. The Villa rearguard froze and Cahill reacted quickest to the rebound to head into the empty net. The damage looked as though it might be terminal at that point for Villa but hope returned shortly after the half-hour mark, when James Milner's arrowed centre caused panic in the Everton area and John Carew rammed home.
The momentum was with Villa but that all changed nine minutes after the restart, when Steven Pienaar ducked inside Luke Young and curled a splendid shot past the stranded Brad Friedel. Villa's response was instant, the home side halving the deficit within two minutes when Milner curled an exquisite 25-yard free-kick inside Howard's near post, before drawing level moments later through Gareth Barry's penalty after Joleon Lescott was penalised for a high boot that stopped Stilian Petrov in his tracks. Nathan Delfouneso might have won it for Villa late on but Howard saved smartly.
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