Everton continued their mini revival after a deserved 2-1 Carabao Cup win at Aston Villa.
James Garner’s first Toffees goal and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s strike fired the visitors into the fourth round.
Boubacar Kamara’s late strike gave the scoreline a flattering look after Everton bossed much of the game against their disappointing hosts.
Villa routed the Toffees 4-0 in the Premier League last month but Sean Dyche’s side have begun to mount their recovery following a wretched start.
Successive victories for the first time under Dyche – and first for a year – will continue to rouse the Toffees. With Luton and Bournemouth next to visit Goodison Park there is the chance to find real momentum.
For Villa, whose last major trophy was the 1996 League Cup, it was another disappointing night for a club which so desperately wants to challenge the elite.
They will continue to remain on the fringes with similar performances as they strive for consistency, having won 1-0 at Chelsea on Sunday.
There was never any sign Unai Emery’s side would build on that result during a sloppy display where they were outfought and overpowered.
Youri Tielemans’ half-volley landed on the roof of the net after seven minutes but that was as good as it got in the first half.
Everton quickly found a tempo which the hosts struggled with and one which, ultimately, forced a 15th-minute opener.
Robin Olsen was put under pressure and his poor clearance landed kindly for Amadou Onana on the edge of the area, before Calvert-Lewin and Arnaut Danjuma worked the ball back to him.
The midfielder then clipped a cute ball through to Garner to lash in from 10 yards with the Villa defence static.
They looked ropey and anxious for the rest of the half as the hosts failed to clear their lines and were unnerved by Everton’s pressing and Danjuma’s direct running.
Only an outstanding reflex save from Olsen stopped John McGinn slicing into his own net six minutes before half time after another Danjuma burst embarrassed Ezri Konsa and Matty Cash.
Two minutes later the goalkeeper denied Calvert-Lewin as he tried to round him, the striker putting the rebound wastefully into the sidenetting.
It was a let-off and one Villa should have capitalised on but Jhon Duran fired wildly over in stoppage time to sum up their wayward first half.
Unsurprisingly Unai Emery had seen enough, replacing Duran, McGinn and Leander Dendoncker with Ollie Watkins, Kamara and Lucas Digne at the break.
But it did nothing to improve the hosts and they self destructed five minutes after the restart.
There was little pressure on Tielemans 40-yards out but his pass sold Konsa short and Calvert-Lewin nipped in to streak clear and roll past the exposed Olsen.
A smart Jordan Pickford save from Moussa Diaby stopped the hosts pulling a goal back immediately but there was no sense of a comeback.
Olsen thwarted Calvert-Lewin just after the hour and it looked like Everton would comfortably see the game out.
Yet, Kamara set up a nervy end with eight minutes left when his deflected strike from 20 yards wrong-footed Pickford to creep in.
The goalkeeper saved from Diaby in stoppage time and Douglas Luiz hooked over during a frantic finish but it was too little, too late.
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Arsenal plans for next season BIGMATCH EPL transfer market It's hard to disagree with him. 1st Group to get knocked out And The WORST is yet to come. Cristiano Ronaldo is still playing. Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Just toon it, trollfootball, The Football Arena, AZR Organization)...
Juventus offer choice of THREE stars to Man Utd in Sancho swapJuventus have reportedly reignited their interest in Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho by proposing a swap deal that includes a selection of three players from their current squad, according to GiveMeSport.Bayern Munich launch 'concrete' move for Liverpool's DiazBayern Munich have reportedly stepped up their interest in Liverpool wi...
BAYERN MUNICH are considering a shock move for Marcus Rashford.The Manchester United outcast is available for transfer this summer after being loaned out to Aston Villa last season.Marcus Rashford is wanted by Bayern MunichBayern are understood to be interested in the England star after being impressed by his form at Villa Park.Rashford, 27, scored four goals in 27 games for Unai Emery's side, and...
Arsenal are reportedly in advanced negotiations with Sporting Lisbon for the transfer of Viktor Gyokeres, as a move for Benjamin Sesko appears to be on hold. The Gunners' main objective this summer is to secure a top-notch striker, and the pair have been identified as prime targets.Both players are expected to depart their current clubs ahead of the 2025-26 season, but until now it was uncertain w...
Juventus coach Igor Tudor said 10 players asked to be substituted during his team's FIFA Club World Cup defeat against Real Madrid due to fatigue caused by "really difficult conditions" in the round-of-16 tie in Miami.Gonzalo García's second-half goal secured a 1-0 win for Madrid and confirmed the Spanish club's place in the quarterfinals at the expense of Italian giants Juve.But while temper...
Inzaghi: Al Hilal beating Man City like Everest without oxygenAl-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi compared his team’s stunning 4-3 extra-time victory over Manchester City in the Club World Cup last 16 to “climbing Mount Everest without oxygen,”.The Saudi team will take on Brazil’s Fluminense in the quarter-finals on Friday, following Marcos Leonardo’s 112th-minute winner th...
Newcastle apologise for 'offensive' flag in kit videoNewcastle United have issued an apology after a promotional video for their new third kit, created in partnership with Adidas, sparked concerns over cultural insensitivity.The controversy arose from the inclusion of a flag in the footage that appeared to resemble a historically controversial symbol.In one scene, fans were seen waving a Rising Su...
Jonathan David to Juventus close as striker nears decisionJuventus are reportedly closing in on free agent Jonathan David following his exit from Lille.According to Fabrizio Romano, the Serie A side is close to reaching an agreement with Canadian international after submitting a new offer.Negotiations are ongoing, with Juventus hopeful of securing the final green light soon.David has drawn interes...
Haaland asks Al Hilal goalkeeper Bounou to join Man City after stunning performanceAl-Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou pulled off an excellent performance against Manchester City as they beat the Premier League side 4-3 in the Club World Cup.Many have only heard of Bounou after he led Morocco to the semi-final in the 2022 World Cup. Now, he is helping Al-Hilal progress to the next round of the Club...
Man Utd snubbed loan deal for Duran after his 3336k-a-week wages were revealedManchester United reportedly turned down the chance to take Jhon Duran on loan after discovering his huge wages.Just six months after making the high-profile switch from Aston Villa to Al Nassr in a deal reportedly worth around 364M, Duran has joined former United boss Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce ahead of the new campaig...
- 1 Liverpool willing to make swap proposal to Palace for Guehi
- 2 Raphinha happy to see Barcelona miss out on FIFA Club World Cup
- 3 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 4 Mystery blonde who had night out with Kieran Trippier
- 5 Chelsea transfer at 'final stages'
- 6 Club World Cup 2025: Benfica v Chelsea predictions, best bets and odds
- 7 Man Utd close in on Bryan Mbeumo! Red Devils agree £60m+ fee with Brentford as Premier League rivals iron out final transfer details
- 8 Man United close in on Bryan Mbeumo
- 9 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 10 Sporting CP president Varandas: Gyokeres knows price he can leave for