Best of Everton v. Aston Villa
Submitted by
BillyIdle on Sat, 10/31/2009 at 10:05am.
"Everton made three changes to their first XI for the game, with Leighton Baines, Joseph Yobo and Bilyaletdinov all restored to the starting line-up after recovering from injury.
Louis Saha dropped to the bench after picking up a calf problem, as did Dan Gosling, but there was no place in the squad for Tony Hibbert.
Brad Friedel was named in goal for Villa to make his 200th consecutive league appearance after Brad Guzan had deputised at Sunderland in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, while Steve Sidwell returned to the midfield in place of Nigel Reo-Coker.
Emile Heskey, who had made his first start since August at the Stadium of Light, retained his starting spot with John Carew on the bench once again, and Stephen Warnock was included in the defence despite suffering an ankle injury in the week.
Everton and Villa matched each other all the way until the final weeks of last season in the race for fifth place in the table and again, there was little to divide the two teams in the opening stages.
Sidwell wasted the first real opportunity of the game in the fifth minute, misdirecting his header across Tim Howard's goal after Ashley Young's cross had picked him out.
Minutes later Ayegbeni Yakubu sent a cross into the Villa box which looked like it might dip under the bar, but the ever-reliable Friedel was on hand to tip it over.
Marouane Fellaini tried a speculative effort from range on the quarter hour but Friedel made a comfortable catch and at the other end, Heskey was crowded out in the Everton box before he could make meaningful contact with James Collins' long ball. Yakubu almost broke the deadlock shortly before the half-hour mark with a looping header from Heitinga's lofted pass, but the striker's momentum put too much on the effort and carried it over the bar.
Fellaini then appeared to go even closer when his header was pushed round the post by the boot of Carlos Cuellar, but replays showed that the ball had already gone out of play before reaching the gangly midfielder. Villa had their best effort of the half soon after when Cuellar headed the ball across the area and Warnock met it with a volley, but the defender's low drive went inches wide." Just as it appeared it would be honours event the break the hosts found a way through. A minute of first half stoppage time had elapsed when Cahill's cross hit Yakubu in the box and fell right in front of the arriving Bilyaletdinov, who made no mistake in slotting it past Friedel.
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