Aston Villa’s 11-game Villa Park winning run ended as Everton sealed a 1-0 away victory, while Newcastle were held 0-0 by bottom club Wolves in the Premier League’s 22nd round.
Aston Villa’s formidable home streak came to an abrupt end on Sunday as Everton claimed a 1-0 win at Villa Park in the 22nd round of the Premier League.
The defeat was particularly damaging for Villa because it arrived on a weekend in which several direct rivals dropped points, offering a clear opening to strengthen their position near the top of the table. Instead, the Villans missed the chance to climb into second place and to reduce the gap to leaders Arsenal, despite coming into the match on a run of 11 straight Premier League victories at home.
The context made the setback even more striking. With Arsenal and Liverpool both drawing and Manchester City losing the local derby, Villa had a rare opportunity to gain ground in the Champions League qualification battle and to increase pressure on the teams above them. Villa Park has been one of the league’s most difficult venues this season, and the expectation was that Villa would use familiar territory to impose their usual intensity and rhythm. However, Everton delivered a disciplined, pragmatic performance and punished Villa’s lack of sharpness in the decisive moments.
Everton’s approach was clear from the outset. David Moyes set his team up to concede possession, stay compact, and attack with purpose when opportunities appeared. Villa enjoyed more of the ball and spent long spells trying to build through midfield and find runners in behind, but Everton’s defensive spacing and timing in duels made it difficult for the home side to create a steady flow of high-quality chances. While Villa looked the more proactive team, Everton looked the more threatening whenever the game opened up.
In fact, Everton could have taken the lead almost immediately. In the first minute, Merlin Rohi struck the post with a shot that exposed Villa’s vulnerability in the opening exchanges. It was an early warning that the visitors were not at Villa Park to simply survive. Everton continued to show that they could hurt Villa, particularly in moments when Villa committed numbers forward and left space to be attacked in transition.
The first half featured another significant moment when Jake O’Brien had a goal disallowed in the 33rd minute for offside. While the flag spared Villa, it reinforced the pattern of the match: Everton did not need extended possession to create dangerous situations, and their actions in the final third were decisive and direct. Villa, by contrast, struggled to convert their territorial advantage into the kind of clear chances that usually define their home performances.
After the break, Villa attempted to raise the tempo and increase the pressure, but Everton continued to defend with structure and patience, keeping their shape and forcing Villa into less efficient areas. The match ultimately turned on a single, clinical action in the 59th minute. Thierno Barry produced a lob that beat the goalkeeper and gave Everton the lead, a finish that reflected Everton’s greater efficiency on the day. Once ahead, Everton leaned further into game management: slowing the tempo, protecting central areas, and limiting Villa’s opportunities to play through them.
Villa pushed for an equaliser in the final half-hour, but Everton’s defensive organisation held. The home side’s usual fluency in the last third was missing, and the longer the match went on, the more Everton’s confidence grew. The Toffees handled the closing stages with maturity, and Villa’s attempts to force a late comeback never truly developed into the kind of sustained wave of chances that had defined many of their earlier home victories.
The result has clear implications in the standings. Everton move up to 10th place with 32 points, a position that reflects improved consistency and an ability to compete effectively against teams above them. Villa remain third on 43 points, level with Manchester City in second, and both sit seven points behind leaders Arsenal. From Villa’s perspective, the defeat is not only a missed opportunity in the table, but also a reminder that even strong home form can be undone when control does not translate into goals and when opponents are clinical in key moments.
Earlier in the day, Newcastle were also left frustrated as they drew 0-0 away to bottom club Wolverhampton at Molineux. Newcastle entered the match as favourites and dominated possession with 66%, but they failed to convert that control into goals. The draw prevented them from drawing level with Manchester United in fifth place, a crucial area in the race for European qualification. The match also served as a less-than-ideal final rehearsal ahead of their important Champions League fixture against PSV on Wednesday, where Newcastle will be aiming for direct qualification to the round of 16.
The stalemate also highlighted Newcastle’s historical difficulties at Molineux. Despite their superior status on paper, Eddie Howe’s team once again found it hard to break down Wolves there, a ground where Wolverhampton hold a strong record with 31 wins in 54 matches between the sides. For Wolves, the point offered some resistance but little relief in the bigger picture. Goalkeeper Jose Sa started, and Rodrigo Gomes came on in the 86th minute, yet the draw did not materially change their situation. Wolves remain bottom with eight points, 14 behind Nottingham Forest, the first team above the relegation places, leaving them in a position that looks increasingly bleak.
Newcastle are now eighth with 33 points, the same as Sunderland in ninth, adding further congestion to the mid-table race and increasing the importance of upcoming fixtures for teams chasing European places.
The 22nd round of the Premier League concludes on Monday with Brighton, currently 12th, hosting Bournemouth, 15th, in a match that will finalize the weekend’s picture across the table.
Updated: 07:49, 18 Jan 2026
