Aston Villa’s winless and goalless start to the Premier League season stretched into a fourth game after they battled to a 0-0 draw against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Unai Emery’s side became only the fifth team in Premier League history to fail to score in their opening four fixtures, underlining a worrying lack of cutting edge that has left them languishing in 19th place.
While Everton dominated the contest and created the better opportunities, Villa clung on to register their second point of the campaign.
Martinez Returns, Villa Still Toothless
The visitors were boosted by the return of World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who had missed the defeat to Crystal Palace amid heavy transfer speculation linking him with Manchester United, and his presence proved vital as he repeatedly came to Villa’s rescue
Martinez denied former Villa captain Jack Grealish with a sharp low stop in the first half and produced the save of the game after the break, flinging himself to his left to claw away Michael Keane’s powerful header from point-blank range.
The Argentina international, the last player to leave the pitch at full-time, waved to the away supporters and tapped the club badge in a gesture that may fuel fresh speculation about his future.
Emiliano Martinez was seen tapping the badge and thanking fans after making his return to the Aston Villa line-up
Grealish Torments Former Club
For Everton, Grealish was at the heart of almost every attacking move; the winger, who left Villa Park for Manchester City before sealing a summer switch to Merseyside, looked eager to make a statement against his boyhood club.
He tested Martinez on multiple occasions and drew defenders out of position with his incisive runs, but Everton lacked the finishing touch to turn his creativity into goals.
Beto spurned two glorious opportunities, first heading wide from close range and later firing off target with the goal at his mercy, those misses summed up the Toffees’ frustrating evening in front of goal.
Debutants Make Cameo Appearances
Both managers turned to their new recruits in search of inspiration; Aston Villa introduced former Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott for the final half-hour, while Everton handed a debut to German midfielder Merlin Röhl.
Neither could swing the balance, as the game descended into a scrappy contest of half-chances and misplaced passes.
Missed Opportunity for Everton
David Moyes’s side knew victory would have drawn them level with early leaders Arsenal and Liverpool at the top of the table, but instead they remain fifth with seven points from their opening four games.
For Villa, the point represents only a small consolation; Emery’s team showed defensive resilience, throwing bodies in front of shots and relying heavily on Martinez, but their inability to register even a single goal this season remains an alarming statistic.
The pressure is mounting on Emery to find a solution ahead of next weekend’s trip to Sunderland, with club’s supporters growing increasingly restless at their side’s blunt attack.