A fantastic battling display sees Everton through to Round 4

Aston Villa 1 - 2 Everton

Everton returned to Villa Park but this time in the 3rd Round of the Carabao Cup where Sean Dyche named a pretty strong team that included Jack Harrison for his Everton debut and they stunned Villa with 2 vital goals.

Young, Gana, Doucouré, Beto and McNeil step down to the bench, with Calvert-Lewin leading the line, supported by Danjuma.

Everton were strong from the kick-off, with Jack Harrison looking to play a significant forward role with the visitors pressing hard against the home side. It was fully 65 minutes before Villa got forward in any fashion, Branthwaite getting beaten by Diaby but Keane was there to intercept the cross and clear.

McGinn got around Patterson but Keane was again in to put the ball behind for a corner but Everton were hopeless dealing with the corner from which a Tielemans shot flashed over the bar after his first effort was blocked. Duran then attacked the Everton goal, which was saved by a deflection, with all 11 Everton players defending the corner. 

Mykolenko played a forward pass that was too pacey for Calvert-Lewin. But a Villa free-kick was played back to Olsen and Everton got forward again,  snapping relentlessly at the Villa players high in their half, forcing play back to Olsen again and again. And it paid off in spades, Oanana playing a brilliant ball through to Garner who finished superbly with an excellent left-foot strike on 15 minutes. 

Everton kept up the aggressive press after the restart, and continued to play up, on the front foot.  Calvert-Lewin almost got through on goal, but he fouled Konsa. Branthwaite was then across smartly to thwart Diaby. Another excellent high press pinned Villa back.

Patterson cleverly won Everton a corner but it was played in low and completely wasted. Bailey had gone off injured and was eventually replaced by Zaniolo.

Danjuma was next to advance for Everton but he shot too early and it was blocked. But Danjuma picked it up and out of nothing created a deflected chance for Harrison where he seemed to have an open goal but the goalie's save bounced off McGinn and onto the post and away.

Calvert-Lewin was next to get through on goal but he fired into the side netting with only the keeper to beat. Another corner was won by Everton but too easily defended away. Garner swung his boot at a dropping ball but sliced it wide.

Danjuma tried to go it alone despite support but his shot was blocked. He regained the ball in the next attack but his pullback was deflected to McGinn who shot at his own keeper and almost scored!

Duran got past the Everton defenders but lashed his shot high into the Holte End before the half-time whistle went, with Everton ahead by one goal.

There were changes at half-time and Ollie Watkins immediately got through on goal only to be flagged offside. From a Villa free-kick, the ball went back and Calvert-Lewin pounced on the loose ball, firing superbly past Olsen for Everton's second goal. 

Villa looked to respond and Calvert-Lewin made a silly mistake, letting in Watkins but Pickford made a vital save to stop Villa from scoring. 

Calvert-Lewin played a great ball through to Harrison but he was not sharp enough to take advantage. A great ball from Danjuma played in  Calvert-Lewin, but his shot on Olsen's goal was too close to Olsen who parried it back into play. 

Dwight McNeil came on for Jack Harrison after he ran out of steam a little but he had looked good in all blue. 

Branthwaite's poor pass almost put Everton under pressure but Keane was there to stem the danger.

Into the last 20 minutes and Aston Villa were determined to turn the game around. Garner was caught by a nasty foul but no yellow card. 

But from a Villa corner, Kamara's shot was deflected past Pickford to put Villa back in the game with 7 minutes of normal time left plus 5 minutes of added time.

Aston Villa threw at Everton with chance after chance, Luiz tried a bicycle kick in the Blues box, but it flew over the bar, and somehow Everton survived. 

Aston Villa:  Olsen, Cash, Konsa, Dendoncker (46' Kamara), Pau, McGinn (46' Digne), Tielemans (78' Kellyman), Luiz [Y:90+4'], Bailey (32' Zaniolo), Diaby, Duran (46'  Watkins).

Subs not Used:  Martinez, Marschall, Diego Carlos, Traore.

Everton:  Pickford, Patterson, Keane, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko (46' Young), Onana (78' Doucouré), Garner, Harrison (65' McNeil), Calvert-Lewin (72' Beto), Danjuma, (72' Gana).

Subs not Used:  Virginia, Godfrey, Dobbin, Chermiti.

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