Urgent Update: Aston Villa and a heartfelt goodbye

Dave Woodhall bids Goodison Park farewell after seeing Villa defeat Everton.

Something about this one appeals to the traditionalist, aside from the “most played fixture” phrase that is brought up whenever Villa plays Everton. Both clubs have existed since the beginning, and neither has really had an impact during the last hundred years or so. Both have had highs and lows; Villa has experienced both highs and lows, while Everton has perhaps experienced more highs. Without a doubt, Goodison is not suited for contemporary football, and in many respects, it is the fault of contemporary football rather than Everton. Even though the amenities are worse and the perspective isn’t the best, this fixture will never be the same.

Following last week’s FA Cup disruption, the Villa club made the anticipated comeback of a few players, with Jacob Ramsey making a welcome appearance and Ollie Watkins maintaining his position ahead of the unsuspended Jhon Duran. Ashley Young, who seemed to have been playing for almost as long as we have been traveling to Goodison, lined up against Villa. His presence demonstrated the dearth of quality in an Everton team fighting what appears to be their yearly battle against relegation.

Morgan Rogers’ attempt from the edge of the area was well saved, and he was unfortunate not to score in the first five minutes as Villa’s superior skill quickly became apparent. Emiliano Martinez had put in a lot of effort to stop a clear run on goal, but Ollie Watkins could have done better after picking up a loose ball and firing wide while Boubacar Kamara cleared off the line at the other end. With the goal open, Ramsey ought to have done better by catching his shot.

Villa therefore broke a terrible run of five consecutive away losses while also keeping a clean sheet. Given the number of points we’ve wasted this season, the other results this week mostly went our way, placing us seventh in the table—not something to brag about, but more annoying than anything else. Even though the performances don’t yet match the outcomes, we’ve moved past the poor run and are beginning to find our rhythm.

The future is bright with one player already signed, another newcomer on the horizon, and one or two more reportedly on the way. For Goodison, that’s more than you can say.