Everton 3-1 Aston Villa – FA Cup Live Blog – 15 February 2009

A place in the quarter finals of the FA Cup beckons for the winner of Everton v Aston Villa. The Toffees were pushed to the limit by local rivals Liverpool in the last round while Villa overcame a potential banana skin against Championship side Doncaster Rovers. Daily Soccer Blog will provide kick-by-kick updates right here.

Match Preview

The match at Goodison Park sees two of the most in-form Premiership teams clash in cup-tie circumstances. Everton have not lost at home, in the league or cup, since Villa beat them 3-2 on 7 December. A similar scoreline would provide an excellent afternoon’s entertainment.

Everton are aiming to each the last eight of the competition for the first time since 2002 but will have to do it without the injured Marouane Fellaini, the suspended Steven Pienaar and cup-tied Jo. Manager David Moyes may have to pin his hopes on the perenially injured Louis Saha. Villa are in better shape, but have Gareth Barry suspended so the captain’s role could be filled by Steve Sidwell.

Villa are unbeaten in five Premiership matches against Everton with three wins and two draws and this is the first time the pair have met in the FA Cup since Villa won 2-1 at Goodison Park at the quarter final stage in February 2000.

Line Ups

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Gosling, Neville, Arteta, Rodwell, Cahill, Anichebe.
Subs: Nash, Yobo, Van der Meyde, Castillo, Jacobsen, Baxter, Wallace.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Gardner, Knight, Davies, Luke Young, Milner, Sidwell, Petrov, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor, Carew.
Subs: Guzan, Harewood, Delfouneso, Salifou, Shorey, Albrighton, Lowry.

Goals

Everton: Rodwell (4′), Arteta (pen 24′), Cahill (76′)

Aston Villa: Milner (pen 8′)

Live Blog

90+2′ The magnificent Arteta also receives his standing ovation and is replaced by Castillo for the dying seconds.

90′ Villa have just two minutes to find two goals. It’s not going to happen. Everton, for all their injury problems, have been by far the superior side this afternoon.

88′ Teenager Rodwell earns himself a booking for obstructing Young in the middle of the park, preventing a Villa break. Anichebe gets substituted to a standing ovation and is replaced by Joseph Yobo as manager Moyes looks to avoid any late mistakes.

86′ Gosling down the left tears away from a labouring Knight but can only prod the ball into the relieved arms of Friedel, rather than setting someone up with an open goal.

84′ Substitution for Villa – striker Nathan Delfouneso comes on for Sidwell as O’Neill desperately tries to boost his attacking options.

83′ The superb Arteta wastes a dead ball for the first time this match when he blasts a free kick well wide from 25 yards out. He should have crossed it into the box, but being two goals to the good you can forgive him for being greedy.

78′ Villa need two late goals if they are going to avoid being dumped out of this grand competition. They managed two at Goodison Park last December and more of the same is needed. However, the third goal looks like it’s knocked the stuffing out of them.

76′ Goal! Everton 3 Aston Villa 1. The Toffees break quickly and Anichebe sends a ball into the Villa box. A comedic central defence pairing of Davies and Knight both miss the ball completely and allow it to drop straight into the path of the unmarked Tim Cahill. The Aussie doesn’t strike the ball cleanly but it bounces over the onrushing Friedel and into the goal. A dreadful error by two expensive, and overrated defenders has handed Everton a place in the quarter finals.

74′ Cahill is lucky to avoid another yellow card after hauling down Petrov just outside the D. Gardner, who is described as “being able to hit a ball”, strikes the free kick straight at the wall.

72′ And again. Carew is providing the hold-up play Villa have lacked all game. He nods down a long ball into the path of Young who smashes the ball over the bar from just outside the box. That’s three chances in as many minutes for Villa who have wasted them all. Some composure is needed from Martin O’Neill’s players who look like they are beginning to panic.

71′ The chances are coming thick and fast for Villa now. Milner floats in a delightful ball and Sidwell heads it down into the groiund and wide. He had more time than he imagined and could have brought the ball down rather than attempt a first time header.

69′ Agbonlahor lashes wildly at a loose ball in the box after a clutch of blue shirts fail to clear a flick on by Carew. It was half a chance but well, well wide from the striker who has had a poor game so far.

67′ Cahill gets a free header from six yards out following a cross from Baines but it’s straight at Friedel. Villa are improving after a slow start to the half, with Milner and Young getting into the game more. There is still plenty of time for them to get an equaliser.

61′ Howard pulls off a terrific save to keep Everton in front. Milner whips in a good ball and Carew flick the ball towards goal, forcing a diving save from Howard who turns the ball behind for a corner. An excellent piece of skill from Carew who has looked lethargic for most of the game.

56′ Milner adds his name to Phil Dowd’s growing naughty list after a foul on Baines, who did brilliantly to win the ball off Agbonlahor near the corner flag.

54′ Another half chance for Everton. Davies looked to foul Anichebe on the edge of the box but play continued. Rodwell fired the loose ball towards goal, but he scuffed it wide.

52′ Neville and Arteta cut through Villa’s resistance with two passes, releasing Anichebe on the right. His cross is sent behind for a corner. Arteta delivers it but Phil Dowd blows for a free kick as a posse of blue shirts prevent Friedel from getting anywhere near the ball.

50′ It’s Everton who have started as the better side this half. Both Arteta and Gosling have had opportunities to go forward but no chances have been created yet. Villa look ponderous and are not really trying to make anything happen. What has Martin O’Neill said to them at half time?

46′ No changes for either side during the break and it’s Villa who get us underway.

Half Time. It’s been a great cup tie so far to watch but Villa can count themselves lucky they are only a goal behind and have all their players on the field. Petrov would have been sent off for deliberate hand ball in the opening few minutes if Rodwell had not scored the rebound while Gardner could have easily given away another penalty late on in the first half. Villa are still in the game nd Agbonlahor was guilty of a glaring miss from just a few yards out. The first half has been breathless. I hope the second half is just as good.

45′ Two added minutes in what has been an incident-packed first half. It’s Villa who retain possession as they look to go into half time on level terms. Milner attempts to get in a cross but it’s thumped clear by Lescott.

43′ Some half hearted appeals for another Everton penalty when Gosling was held off by Gardner in the box. Phil Dowd makes the “no penalty” gesture with his arms but Gardner made no effort to win the ball. He’s already given two penalties this game, perhaps he thinks that’s enough? It will be interesting to see what the players get away with in the second half.

40′ Anichebe again shows his strength by outmuscling Carew and surging towards the Villa goal. His eventual shot is another tame one and fails to trouble Friedel. If this boy could shoot he’d offer a real goal threat for David Moyes.

36′ Arteta delivers a pinpoint corner but the meaty head of Jagielka can only direct the ball over the bar for a goal kick.

33′ Villa should be on level terms. Young swings in a sublime cross from the left hand side towards Agbonlahor who easily gets to the ball before Baines. He manages to clip the ball with the top of his head and it goes behind for a goal kick. A player of his quality should have done a lot better from four yards. Carew or Heskey in the same position would have buried it.

31′ Anichebe shakes off the challenge of Knight, turns and shoots towards goal, but it’s a weak effort which rolls out for a goal kick.

30′ Villa get two corners in quick succession. Howard punches away the first one theatrically but Milner’s second finds Davies at the far post who heads it straight at the keeper. That was a great chance to equalise.

25′ Sidwell got a yellow card for his troubles and Petrov follows him into the referee’s notebook a minute later for a challenge on Rodwell. The replay shows Petrov clearly won the ball but perhaps Phil Dowd is feeling a bit trigger happy after what has been a frenetic first half.

24′ Goal! Everton 2 Aston Villa 1. It’s another penalty! Anichebe runs confidently into the Villa penalty area and is scythed down from behind by Sidwell. Mikel Arteta steps up and strokes it home into the bottom right hand corner. Friedel dived the other way.

20′ Curtis Davies’ involvement in the match may be coming to a premature end after a seemingly harmless challenge with Cahill. The word on the bench is he will be given a few more minutes to see if he can shake it off.

16′ Everton have another penalty shout when Gardner looked to push Cahill as he rose to meet a free kick from Arteta. Instead of getting the spot kick he wanted, he received a booking from the referee for dissent. Villa have really pushed their luck in the opening half and are lucky to be on level terms in both scoreline and players on the pitch.

14′ Anichebe gets a half chance to put the Toffees back in front when Cahill swings in a cross but he glances it wide from inside the box.

8′ Goal! Everton 1 Aston Villa 1. It’s a repreive for Villa when James Milner strikes the penalty low into the right hand side. It’s not the best but manages to squirm underneath the body of Howard and into the back of the net. What a start to the match and perhaps I’ll get a chance to get my breath back.

7′ After a couple more Everton corners, Villa break quickly and Hibbert takes down the marauding Agbonlahor in the box. It’s a penalty to Martin O’Neill’s side and a yellow card for the defender.

4′ Goal! Everton 1 Aston Villa 0. A second corner is swung in and Cahill’s header is kept out on the line by Petrov’s hand. However, young Jack Rodwell is the liveliest to the rebound and hammers it into the roof of the net. The goal made refereee Phil Dowd’s job that much easier because any other result would have seen a red card for Petrov and penalty for the Toffees.

1′ The league meeting needed just 34 seconds for Villa to break the deadlock and Everton get a corner within the opening moments of this tie. Baines swings it in, Friedel flaps at it but manages to scramble it away.

0′ Us neutrals will hope for a repeat of the 3-2 thriller which took place at Goodison Park last December. Everton equalised the score to 2-2 in stoppage time, only for Ashley Young to race up the other end and bang in a winner. Tremendous television fare and more of the same would be nice to watch this afternoon.

0′ Everton will have their work cut out to defend their recent unbeaten record. They have almost an entire midfield and strikeforce out injured and there are starting places for FA Cup extra-time hero Dan Gosling and 17-year-old Jack Rodwell.

Reaction

Everton were by far the better side throughout the match and thoroughly deserve to progress to the quarter finals of the FA Cup. The two teenagers in the side, Gosling and Rodwell, played with great maturity and the team snuffed out what looked before kick-off to be a strong Villa side. The ommissions of Barry and Heskey proved telling for Villa, who were simply not up to it this afternoon.

Man of the Match

It has to be Mikel Arteta, who was a constant threat from dead ball situations. I know this is becoming a bit of a cliche, but it’s true. Every time he stepped up to take a corner or a free kick you thought something would happen. He pulled the strings in the middle of the park for the Toffees and his goal, albeit a penalty, capped a wonderful all-round performance.