No sweat for Steven Gerrard as Aston Villa edge Everton

It was a hot, sweaty mess at times but Steven Gerrard will give precisely zero f***s about the manner of Aston Villa’s first win of the season.

As if the glare from the sun wasn’t scorching enough, Gerrard went into his first touchline meeting with Frank Lampard under the spotlight after a wretched opening-day defeat which followed a hugely disappointing end to last season. The fresh state of his sky blue shirt is testament to whichever anti-perspirant the Villa boss uses because he must have been sweating even prior to a game which highlighted again some long-standing weaknesses of both sides.

From Gerrard’s perspective, the conclusion was a nerve-jangler too as Villa panicked their way to a victory that ought to have been considerably more comfortable after Emi Buendia put them 2-0 up with five minutes of normal time to go. But the Villans held out for a victory they just-about deserved, one which went at least part way to answering some of the many questions prompted by their recent record.

Gerrard made a statement with his team-sheet by restoring Tyrone Mings to the heart of his defence while pairing Danny Ings with the returning Oli Watkins. The manager’s changes worked, with Mings a generally solid presence at the back – his customary cock-up, missing a first-half header which allowed Everton a great chance to level, wasn’t costly this week – while Watkins and Ings combined to occupy and irritate Everton’s back-three all afternoon, at least until Ings was withdrawn late on.

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Villa’s strikers combined for the first half’s most decisive moment just after the half hour and though Ings applied a ruthless finishing touch, Everton were architects of their their downfall, with Abdoulaye Doucoure most culpable.

It came from an Everton foray forward, another that was directed down a dead end where John McGinn robbed Dwight McNeill. At the point of the turnover, the Toffees were set, but Doucoure’s decision to leave his post and engage with Philippe Coutinho left his side two on two behind him, which McGinn quickly recognised. One simple long ball into the channel was enough to stretch Everton to breaking point, but even when Watkins fed Ings, there was still time to recover after the striker’s loose control. But Conor Coady was too far away to effect Ings and Doucoure too slow on the turn. Fine finish though it was, Everton gave Ings the alley.

James Tarkowski…