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Lee Probert blows for full time as Villa begin to build momentum this season but Everton fail to take their chances and are booed off by the travelling faithful.
Phil Neville sends in a free kick but Olof Mellberg is there for the home side to defend their clean sheet with a defensive header.
Harewood has a chance to open his account for the Villian's with a header from 12 yards but he sends the ball wide of the mark.
Everton are still looking for a break through late on in this match and Pienaar has an opportunity just inside the box but his driven shot is caught well by Carson.
Hibbert this time whips in a cross for Everton but can only find the head of Laursen who sends the ball back up field.
Barry finds himself in space on the right and blasts in a good effort which flashes wide of Wessels' left hand post.
Moore comes off for Villa for Marlon Harewood who makes his home debut.
Yakubu tries a shot from 25 yards which falls at the hands of Carson who gathers easily.
McFadden takes a throw-in but yet again Everton's attack breaks down and Carson has another goal kick.
Bouma goes in on Pienaar and gives away a needless free-kick and the latter gets up once again to take the set-piece.
Young sends in a cross once more but his effort is reminisent of much of the play from wingers today as the ball makes its way to safety.
Young is caught offside as Villa look to score a third and put the game to bed.
... The second change brings strike partner Anichebe off the field who makes way for Ayegbeni Yakubu.
Everton bring off the lacklustre Johnson who is to be replaced by Scotland's newest hero James McFadden and the Toffee's are going to make another change...
Dutch defender Wilfred Bouma wants to get on the scoresheet today, lofting a shot at Wessels' goal but the ball sails over the crossbar.
Barry curls in a corner from the left but Wessels charges out of his box and punches clear once again.
Pienaar does better this time with his cross from the right but Carson is having an excellent spell between the sticks today and clutches the dropping ball to his chest.
Pienaar looks to find one of his strikers with a cross but he'll need to do better than this, his ball into the box sailing over everybody's heads and out into open play.
After all of the fouls this afternoon, the first yellow is shown to substitute Agbonlahor for dissent.
AGBONLAHOR takes the ball down well from Carson's long ball before turning and blasting the ball past a helpless Wessels.
Osman sends in another shot which this time is on target but it lacks power and Carson gathers with ease once again.
Osman has acres of room in the penalty area to shape up a volleyed shot but he fires over the bar from 12 yards, Everton are not going to get back into this match if they waste such chances!
Everton are really beginning to build a period of pressure here and surely it is only a matter of time before they equalise?
Johnson cuts in from the left and just from the edge of the area blasts in a shot but his effort is seen wide by a grateful Carson.
Yobo tries a cross from the right but the centre-half's attempt is poor, failing to find a team-mate.
The unjured Carew limps off the field to be replaced by midfielder Craig Gardner as Agbonlahor moves up-front to partner Moore.
Carew goes down heavily and lands on his right knee awkwardly and Martin O'Neill decides to make a change.
Moore once again is caught offside as the young Englishman tries to join his fellow striker on the scoresheet.
Pienaar's cross into the area is headed clear by the solid Laursen who has looked like a rock at the back for the Villian's today.
Reo-Coker brings down Pienaar in the latest installment of this midfield clash and the Dutchman gets to his feet to take the free-kick.
The match resumes and Everton once again begin the brightest.
Referee Lee Probert blows up for half-time here at Villa Park.
Young bends in a cross looking for the head of Gabriel Agbonlahor whose goal-bound effort is cleared by Tony Hibbert.
In what looks to be the last attack of the half Villa win a corner which Young looks to take.
Pienaar floors Reo-Coker in what is shaping up to be one of the defining battles of the afternoon.
Wessels goal kick lands at the feet of Jagielka but the midfielder struggles once again to set up an attack.
Barry sends a long ball upfield looking for the run of Carew but his pass is too heavy and Wessels lets the ball run out for a goal kick.
The match begins to break up into yet another spell of midfield battles as Laursen, racing out from the back, trips Johnson and Pienaar looks to set up an attack.
Everton look to force a way back into this match as Osman fires in a shot from the right hand side but Carson gets down well to save comfortably.
Barry has another opportunity to swing in a corner and this time plumps for the far post but Jagielka is in place to clear the danger.
Barry races over to the left to take yet another corner for the home side. He delivers into the centre of the box and Wessels once again can only puch clear.
The tenth foul of the afternoon see's Pienaar clash with Reo-Coker but referee Probert keeps his cards in his pocket once again.
Young seems to be the man for whom the home side look to get the ball to out on wing but the former Watford man's cross this time fails to impress and sails out of play.
Young curls in another dangerous looking corner with his right foot which Wessels can only parry clear.
Victor Anichebe shows his frustration, fouling Laursen after clattering ankles with the Villian's defender.
The match begins to break down a little as Villa appear to be putting the breaks on this first half.
Johnson works the ball out onto the right and into a crossing position but his delivery is also weak and on-loan Scott Carson gathers with ease.
Young flashes down the wing and whips in a cross but his ball is over hit a drifts out for a throw-in.
Luke Moore drives forward looking to spring the offside trap but this time his pace is his downfall and the linesman raises his flag.
Totally against the run of play both Everton players and Toffee's supporters alike look stunned, can the visitors dust themselves down and regroup?
JOHN CAREW finds the back of the net, making room in the box before firing low, right footed past Stefan Wessels in the visitors goal.
Young's delivery into the box is headed clear by Joleon Lescott as both teams look to build momentum.
Steven Pienaar goes in hard on Young and the Villa man wins a free-kick which he dust himself off to take.
Gareth Barry enters into the midfield battle, this time bringing down Phil Jagielka but Leighton Baines' free-kick comes to nothing.
Knight is putting himself about today, twice going in hard on Andrew Johnson and the Osman in the middle of the park which results in referee Lee Probert giving the Villa man a stern ticking off.
Ashley Young has a pop from 30 yards on the volley but his effort sails high over the bar.
Knight returns to the field after receiving treatment after his brave intervention.
Centre-back Joseph Yobo tries his luck from just outside the area but Zat Knight puts his body on the line and blocks with his face.
First corner of the afternoon is awarded to Everton out on the left, Leon Osman runs over to take but Martin Laursen rises well to clear.
Everton travel to Birmingham today knowing that three points could see them finish the day second in the Barclay's Premier League.
Villa host today's match in what could be Curtis Davies' first match for the club, Marlon Harewood is also in the running for his home debut against Everton.
The match gets underway in lively fashion with Everton knowing that a victory today could see them into second spot.
Everton XI: Stefan Wessels, Tony Hibbert, Joseph Yobo, Joleon Lescott, Leighton Baines, Steven Pienaar, Phil Jagielka, Phil Neville, Leon Osman, Victor Anichebe, Andrew Johnson.
Aston Villa XI: Scott Carson, Olof Mellberg, Martin Laursen, Zat Knight, Wilfred Bouma,Gabriel Agbonlahor, Nigel Reo-Coker, Gareth Barry, Ashley Young, Luke Moore, John Carew.
Everton and Aston Villa will both have to overcome last weekend's draining 1-0 losses to Manchester United and City respectively when they clash at Villa Park on Sunday. The similarities last weekend went beyond losing to teams from the same city by the same score. Everton had gone into the match having beaten Bolton 2-1 to cap off a fine start to the year, while Villa had beaten Chelsea 2-0 the weekend before in an equally thrilling game, giving them a third win in three games. Preparations on Merseyside have been rather different to those in Birmingham, as the Toffees faced a UEFA Cup match with FC Metalist Kharkiv on Thursday, while Villa stayed in to study their Sunday prey. Villa will come into the tie fitter as well as arguably better prepared, with Marlon Harewood replacing Patrik Berger - back in the squad after his nagging hamstring injury - as their sole absentee. Harewood injured his knee in training the Friday before Villa's defeat to City. It at first appeared to be a stress fracture, but the latest diagnosis revealed only bruising - much to the relief of manager Martin O'Neill. "However long he's out, it's very frustrating for him. He's been absolutely flying in training and he's doing everything he can to make a big impression here," O'Neill said earlier in the week. Everton, on the other hand, have seen Tim Howard join Tim Cahill, Thomas Gravesen, James Vaughan and Alan Stubbs on the injury list. Stubbs, who has had a groin strain, is the only one of the five who may play in Sunday's clash. The news on Cahill is particularly bad, as the Australian midfielder is out for at least another week with the broken metatarsal that has kept him out since March.
Gareth Barry has been a revelation since his starring role for England and he demonstrated his vital contribution to Aston Villa's improved form this season by leading his side to another highly commendable victory. Barry is now more involved in his midfield role and this is reflected in Villa looking a more solid team and difficult to beat by any opposition. Villa carved out their latest success when they were given a bright start with a rare John Carew goal in the 14th minute and Gabby Agbonlahor added a second in the 61st minute. It was Agbonlahor's third goal in four games against Everton, including one on his debut, which explains why he enjoys playing against the Merseyside club. Carew enjoyed mixed fortunes. He scored his first league goal of the season but limped off injured in the second period when Agbonlahor linked up with Luke Moore to produce one of the quickest strike partnerships in the Premier League. Everton have now conceded seven points in their last three games against Villa and the latest defeat was a big setback for a team which has been in such good form this season. Andy Johnson's goal drought for Everton continues to be a problem and the England striker was replaced on the hour by James McFadden. Villa bounced back following the disappointment of the defeat at Manchester City in their previous game. They were obviously intent to atone for that and this was certainly reflected in their third successive home win. Everton played with equal confidence, but with Barry in such fine form they were not able to produce an early breakthrough. Martin Laursen also thwarted the Everton attack and Johnson in particular. Johnson, who has failed to score since last March, was always lively and put considerable pressure on the Villa defence which impressed with some solid work, Laursen, Zat Knight and Olof Mellberg all making major contributions. The Merseyside club, however, suffered a major setback after 14 minutes when Villa, always dangerous on the counter-attack, took a surprise lead. The industrious Barry set up Wilfred Bouma and the Dutchman swung over a high cross to the middle of Everton's defence. Joseph Yobo failed miserably to clear his lines and the ball fell into the path of Carew, who, with great deliberation, fired home a low shot despite the attentions of Leighton Baines, The diminutive Steven Pienaar was the engine room of many Everton attacks with some eye-catching work as he attempted to set up Johnson and Victor Anichebe. Villa's resolution, however, was more than a match for the Everton attack and Scott Carson was rarely troubled by the visitors. Only a goal-line clearance by Tony Hibbert from Agbonlahor seconds before half-time prevented Villa increasing their lead when a second goal would certainly have put them in the driving seat. A determined Johnson quickly made his intentions clear when he fired in a fierce free-kick and minutes later hammered a shot just wide of the upright. Losing Carew appeared to disrupt Villa as Everton stepped up a gear with Pienaar once again their guiding light. But once again they caught Everton napping in the 61st minute when a clearance from Carson found the isolated Agbonlahor, who brought the ball deftly under control before slotting his shot past the advancing Stefan Wessels.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
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