Aston Villa 2, Everton 0

Sep 23 2007 By Dominic King at Villa Park

EVERTON’S testing week finished on the worst possible note today as they were soundly beaten by Aston Villa.

Having lost to Manchester United last Saturday and then drawn with Metalist Kharkiv in the UEFA Cup, goals either side from John Carew and Gabi Agbonlahor were more than enough to give Martin O’Neill’s men three points.

Looking for to get things back on track at the first attempt, Moyes made three changes to the side that had been frustrated by Kharkiv on Thursday evening and all were significant.

Out went James McFadden, Lee Carsley and, most surprisingly Aiyegbeni Yakubu, while in came Steven Pienaar, Phil Jagielka and Victor Anichebe, who caught the eye during his brief cameo against the Ukrainians.

Frustratingly for Moyes, though, shuffling his pack did not bring about the desired effect as Villa - all vibrancy and pace - had too many guns for Everton and took the lead within 14 minutes.

There seemed little danger on when Gareth Barry floated a cross in from the left but John Carew used his height to unsettle Everton’s defence and with Joseph Yobo and Leighton Baines failing to clear, the Norwegian took full advantage with a left-foot drive.

Everton were unable to muster a response of any note in the remainder of the first period and Stefan Wessels had Tony Hibbert to thank for saving his blushes in injury time after he had misjudged a Barry corner.

Carew, unsurprisingly, was in the thick of the action and with everyone concentrating on him, that allowed Gabi Agbonlahor to profit but Hibbert was in the right place to nod the forward’s header off the line.

The second half began on a brighter note for the Blues with Andrew Johnson testing Scott Carson with a precise free-kick and a shot dragged wide after Anichebe had flicked Leon Osman’s through ball into his path.

It was, however, only a brief respite and soon the game was put beyond Everton’s reach; Carson’s hopeful punt forward caught the visitors’ defence napping and that allowed Agbonlahor to streak clear, his shot sliding beyond Wessels’ grasp.

Though Moyes made a double substitution - McFadden and Yakubu replaced Johnson and Anichebe - the game was up for the Blues and they now head to Sheffield on Wednesday hoping a Carling Cup win over Sheffield Wednesday will turn things around.