I THOUGHT Everton played really well against Aston Villa on Sunday. Eight times out of 10 they would have easily got a win playing like that.

Sometimes you get mugged but you don’t dwell on it, just take the positives into the next game.

Yes, the home record is abysmal this season and needs sorting out quickly. Although with Chelsea next up at Goodison that is of course easier said than done – they have won all eight of their away games in the league this season.

But show that same fight, desire and ability to cope with having vital players out, and it could just be the game that turns round the home fortunes in this campaign.

Devastating though the manner of the defeat was, it’s a damn sight easier to take than losing the way that Everton did at Wigan.

That was a non-performance in a real non-event of a game, in stark contrast to the great advert for the Premier League we saw on Sunday.

But look at how Everton responded to that with the win at Spurs last week.

The performance against Villa should be a breeze to recover from compared to that and that gives cause for great optimism at a still-unconvincing Manchester City this weekend.