After Villa’s quite startling early season rise to the upper reaches of the Premier League, there were bound to be days like this. The type of days where you don’t get that moment of good luck, things don’t quite click or you are left to wonder what might have been.

This was one of those days, rare of late for us Villa supporters, particularly as we have been spoiled with results, but also a number of late goals too. Even rarer, a 0-0 draw for Unai Emery, his first ever whilst managing either Arsenal or Villa in the PL.

This was an intriguing encounter, perhaps not for the neutral, but for two sides with differing fortunes this term. Let’s get the lazy cliche out of the way, so here it is. Everton, still reeling from a 10-point deduction, look ever so much the archetypal Sean Dyche side. They’re dogged, physical, and direct. Attributes that aren’t always pretty, but those which will be necessary characteristics as their season goes on.
It’s easy to overanalyse Villa’s current period of form as well and draw too many conclusions. But here it goes anyway.

The facts are that it’s one league win in four now as perhaps the toll of our progress to this point takes effect. Similar to phases during the recent games against Sheffield United, Burnley and Middlesbrough, there are a few faces who looked decidedly leggy or in need of rotation. The latter, rotation, is something that the established top sides in ...