Aston Villa 4-0 Everton

[andy villa]

Aston Villa's Milan Baros was on target twice as Everton slumped to their second successive four-goal thrashing.

Baros put Villa ahead controversially after 35 minutes, when he handled before lobbing Nigel Martyn.

Transfer-seeking Mark Delaney swept home a second two minutes after the interval and substitute Juan Pablo Angel added a neat third late on.

Everton were left embarrassed five minutes from time when Baros turned an Aaron Hughes cross past Martyn.

Goodison boss David Moyes gave a long-awaited debut to £5m summer signing Per Kroldrup, with fit-again Martyn replacing Richard Wright in goal.

And the Denmark defender was given a testing start to his career in the Premiership as Villa made a lively opening.

Luke Moore was narrowly off target and Baros was denied by Martyn diving at his feet after he evaded the attentions of Kroldrup.

Everton had the clearest early chance after 17 minutes when Mikel Arteta's cross found James Beattie unmarked at the near post, but he glanced a header over the top.

Villa went ahead in contentious circumstances after 34 minutes when Baros clearly controlled Gareth Barry's cross with his hand before lobbing a close-range finish over Martyn.

The goalkeeper led understandably furious Everton protests but they were waved away by Riley.

And as Everton looked to mount a recovery after the interval, Villa extended their lead after 47 minutes.

Milner whipped in a corner and Delaney - who has demanded to leave Villa Park - beat Tony Hibbert at the near post to flick home a neat finish.

Beattie had an opportunity to give Everton a lifeline, but the hard-working striker was blocked by sheer weight of numbers in the Villa penalty area.

Baros was being offered regular opportunities by a shaky Everton rearguard, forcing Kroldrup into a desperate block and then bringing a fine diving save from Martyn.

Simon Davies then forced Thomas Sorensen into his first serious save, a sign that for all Everton's complaints about Baros' goal, they were desperately lacking quality up front.

And Villa clinched the victory with eight minutes left when Baros linked superbly with Angel, playing in a brilliant pass for the substitute to score.

Baros added his second two minutes later as Everton collapsed again, scoring with a first-time finish from Aaron Hughes cross.

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Aston Villa boss David O'Leary:
"I thought the first goal was important.
"I was delighted it came because I thought we should have been two or three up before that.

"It might have been fortunate, I haven't seen it, but we got it and we deserve a break this season - and if we got it, I'm delighted."

Everton manager David Moyes on the handball not given in the build up to Villa's first:
"It was a terrible decision that turned the game. "There's no excuse for it to be given - he looked straight at it. "We gave away goals far too easily for the level we are playing at."

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Aston Villa: Sorensen, Delaney, Hughes, Ridgewell, Bouma, Milner (Bakke 62), McCann, Davis (Craig Gardner 83), Barry, Moore (Angel 70), Baros.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, De la Cruz.

Goals: Baros 35, Delaney 48, Angel 82, Baros 84.

Everton: Martyn, Hibbert, Yobo, Kroldrup, Neville, Davies, Cahill (Ferguson 81), Arteta, Osman (Bent 65), Beattie, McFadden.
Subs Not Used: Wright, Kilbane, Ferrari.

Att: 32,432

Ref: M Riley (W Yorkshire).

[c.ronaldo#1]

I loved every second of it. **** the most boring team in the Premiership i hope they go down.

[CantonaStillGod]

Angel & Baros nice...and if they could get those two playing, with Phillips on the sidelines it might not be a bad offensie package.

[andy villa]

with luke moore waiting in the wings too, it could be a decent front line...

nice to see angel get a couple of goals... him and baros looked good together, but then again, so did baros and luke before he got injured...

but baros and angel linked really well for the last 2 goals...

im not getting carried away mind.. everton have been very poor and were so again yesterday, but a 4-0 win is still a 4-0 win and made my day yesterday after it had been pretty sweet anyway...

[hanuma]

McCaan and Davis are potentially a superb Central midfield and with all your centre backs fit you have a fantastic spine...its down the flanks thats killing you.

[andy villa]

i wont argue there...

the full backs are starting to get setlled though...

hughes is quality, just needs a little more cover from the winger and bouma is really getting settled now and looking superb.... we have cover for both in jlloyd and delaney until delaney either ****s off or gets injured, but the winger slots are a major problem...

barry simply isnt quick enough to be a winger, but hes too lightweight for the middle... milner isnt ours and his distribution is questionable...

and we have naff all cover apart from hendrie for the right and whittingham for the left... neither of which are good enough...

we looked much better playing it on the deck too yesterday.. annoys me to see technically gifted players like angel and baros have to deal with long balls hoofed up to them, but yesterday they had balls along the deck and looked superb with it...

the interpassing between the two was amazing and the media would have creamed their pants had it come from a more fashionable club...

[hanuma]

Originally Posted by pablopicasso

annoys me to see technically gifted players like angel and baros have to deal with long balls hoofed up to them,

I feel so sorry for Crespo at times...we are only now starting to understand the concept of spotting a strikers runs and passing it to them.

[mufcmyreligion]

ya great link up between angel and baros> perhaps a glimpse of a potencial strike partnership indeed| every time angel has come on for for the past couple games u seem to get more of an attacking feeling and look much more dangerous than without> great win for u

[c.ronaldo#1]

Originally Posted by hanuma

I feel so sorry for Crespo at times...we are only now starting to understand the concept of spotting a strikers runs and passing it to them.

I feel sorry for Crespo as well. e is one of the 5 best strikers in the premiership and hes on the bench all the time.