BIRMINGHAM – Promoted Aston Villa earned their first Premier League points of the season with a 2-0 win over Everton, thanks to goals from Wesley and Anwar El Ghazi at Villa Park on Friday.
Villa’s Brazilian striker Wesley, signed in the close season for a club record £22 million, put them ahead in the 21st minute with a clinical finish after a perfectly timed through ball from Spanish midfielder Jota.
Everton, who could have claimed provisional top spot with a victory, went close to a first-half equaliser, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s strike was superbly cleared off the line by defender Bjorn Engels.
The Merseysiders, who have four points, struggled to turn their pressure into chances, until manager Marco Silva introduced new signings Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi just after the hour mark.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/PL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PLwin is very special"
- Jota #AVLEVE @AVFCOfficial pic.twitter.com/rHVUtBTFBg
— Premier League (@premierleague)
Iwobi struck the post in the 82nd minute with a low drive through a crowded penalty, and then fellow substitute and former Arsenal winger, Theo Walcott, missed a great chance – volleying wide at the back post from a Kean cross.
Villa, back in the top-flight after a three-year absence, made sure of the win in stoppage time when, after a break led by Wesley, Dutch substitute El Ghazi slotted home.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/PL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PL #AVFC pic.twitter.com/7rJGQwR6yk
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial)