The Chris Beesley verdict from Hill Dickinson Stadium after Everton are held to a 0-0 draw by Aston Villa in the Premier League
ECHO Everton reporter Chris Beesley has covered Everton and Liverpool both in the Premier League and abroad since 2005. He cut his teeth in professional sports journalism at the Ellesmere Port Pioneer and then the Welsh edition of the Daily Post, where he also covered Manchester United. Prior to that he worked on the student newspaper Pluto at the University of Central Lancashire, a role in which he first encountered David Moyes. Chris is well-known for his sartorial elegance and the aforementioned Scottish manager once enquired of him at a press conference: "Is that your dad's suit you've got on?" while the tradition continued in 2023 with new Blues boss Sean Dyche complimenting him on his smart appearance.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Jack Grealish of Everton acknowledges the fans after the draw during the Premier League match between Everton and Aston Villa at Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Jack Grealish of Everton acknowledges the fans after the 0-0 draw with his former club Aston Villa
(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
“EA Sports Player of the Month – you’ll never sing that.” Not with Aston Villa anyway!
Four years ago, when Jack Grealish became the first Englishman to command a £100million transfer fee on joining Manchester City, David Moyes, then with West Ham United, declared him to be the best player in the Premier League.
But for all his dazzling displays, both at Villa Park and then the Etihad, playing a starring role in Pep Guardiola’s side’s treble season of 2023, Grealish went into this fixture having been named Premier League Player of the Month for the first time and it took him until the week of his 30th birthday to receive the honour.
In the end it was team-mate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall who handed over the trophy to him, which was fitting given the way the two summer signings have dovetailed on the pitch in their attacking midfield roles and the former Chelsea man pledged to keep helping Grealish on his way.
This is of course just the start for Grealish who is looking for a major revival of his career at Hill Dickinson Stadium and despite his bright start – picking up this gong on the back of four assists from his first two Premier League games – he’ll be aiming for greater prizes, namely a place in England’s squad at the World Cup finals next summer.
Not that he seems to be receiving much encouragement from his former adoring public at Villa with significant sections of the away end booing him here and chanting: “You’re not super anymore.”
What was somewhat poignant after the final whistle though – once most fans had cleared out – was the sight of Grealish walking over to that corner of the ground, alongside another Villa old boy in the home line-up, Idrissa Gueye and the pair of them clapping and being applauded back by those who were still in their seats.
It was a spiky affair throughout for both Grealish and the rest of his new team-mates alike against his boyhood club where he started his career, but also an afternoon of frustration for Everton as they were unable to make their dominance count. That exasperation was summed up in the moment that Grealish himself went into the book.
The England international went down under a challenge from Villa substitute Evann Guessand and felt he should have been awarded a free-kick but when he didn’t, he shoved his opponent and was shown a yellow card by Simon Hooper. It was a rare effort that hit the mark as while the Blues bossed the play and finished 20-7 ahead on the shot count, but it was only 2 to 1 when it came to shots on target.
Vitalii Mykolenko, who withdrew from international duty with Ukraine was the only enforced change from the 3-2 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out as Iliman Ndiaye overcame the “knock” that Moyes stated was he was concerned about over a player who had netted in both of his last two Premier League matches.
Continuing in his new right-wing position, the Senegal international showed few signs of any such hindrance and was a constant thorn in Villa’s side, giving former Blues man Lucas Digne a torrid afternoon.
It was from one such Ndiaye burst down the flank that Everton fashioned their first opportunity of the game but after playing a neat exchange of passes with Beto, the number nine made a hash of his shot as he struggled to get behind the ball and it set the tone for the way the contest would pan out in terms of nothing quite falling for the hosts. The chances kept falling the Guinea-Bissau international’s way but he was then denied by Emiliano Martinez only for the flag to go up late for offside and then he miscontrolled a ball over the top from James Tarkowski.
The Blues’ dominance was such that, the fear was that through failing to take advantage when they were so much on top, that Villa might hit them with a sucker punch. The closest Unai Emery’s side came to that in the first half was when Emiliano Buendia tried a speculative effort from distance when spotting Jordan Pickford off his line but the manner in which is low shot trickled wide emphasised the fact that for all their quality, the visitors remain the only team in the Premier League yet to score so far in this fledgling season.
Michael Keane – who deserves praise for the way in which he has been Everton’s most consistent central defender throughout this campaign to date, with Moyes rather worryingly claiming Jarrad Branthwaite is still “a few weeks off” having not kicked a ball so far in 2025/26 – had a couple of inviting headed efforts himself when operating in the opposition area and when picked out by Grealish late on with a lofted cross, was only denied by an impressive save by Martinez who tipped his effort over the bar.
With Beto having left the fray, his replacement Thierno Barry must have also imagined himself opening his Everton account in dramatic fashion with the South Stand goal gaping when he was played through by fellow substitute Merlin Rohl, the club’s transfer deadline day signing who had come on for his debut, but he was denied by a smart last-gasp challenge by Tyrone Mings.
In the end, Moyes’ men had to settle for a stalemate but were left disappointed by only taking a share of the spoils, but given that the Scot’s second coming at the club started with a 1-0 defeat to the same opponents back in January, that shows just how far they have come in the eight months since.
It’s just two miles from Goodison Park to Hill Dickinson Stadium, but this Everton side is now a very different beast than the one Moyes inherited just after the turn of the calendar year.
Having the flair of Grealish and company now among their ranks, you suspect there won’t be too many more stalemates this term by the banks of the Mersey.