Leon Osman picks out why Everton lost to Villa
Leon Osman believes that one of the reasons Everton lost against Aston Villa was because they failed to contain the wing-backs.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Toffees midfielder revealed his thoughts on his old club’s defeat at Villa Park [Sky Sports via Liverpool Echo, 18/09/2021].
The Toffees suffered the first defeat of the Rafael Benitez era on Saturday evening, and both Lucas Digne and Ben Godfrey struggled at times, and Osman thinks that was potentially where the game was lost [Liverpool Echo].
He said: “Everton didn’t match Aston Villa’s tempo in that second half. Aston Villa really went up a gear, and Everton found it very difficult to cope with that.
“Aston Villa wore Everton down with regards to the formation, 3-5-2 with Aston Villa playing wing-backs against Everton’s full-backs.
“The wing-backs really troubled Lucas Digne and Ben Godfrey, who were trying to play as full-backs, trying to get out and as close as they could every time.”
Is Osman right?
The first goal that Villa scored came from Matty Cash getting in behind Digne down the left, so we can see why Osman feels like the Toffees lost the match on the flanks.
However, Villa’s second and third goals were definitely Asmir Begovic’s fault.
For Digne’s own goal, the Bosnian missed his punch, and the ball ended up in the net, while for the third, Leon Bailey’s strike went through his wrists, and he should have done better.
So though Digne and Godfrey didn’t play that well, you would think had Jordan Pickford been in goal, then the Toffees might not have conceded the final two.
Luckily for Everton, they don’t have long to wait until their next game, where they will have the opportunity to right the wrongs of Saturday.
This was a poor result for the Toffees, and hopefully, they can bounce back with a win in the Carabao Cup.
In other Everton news, Benitez has provided an update on James Rodriguez.
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