Everton vs Aston Villa LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Buendia heads home Digne’s corner
Follow all the latest reaction from Goodison Park after Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa beat Duncan Ferguson’s Everton
Everton are taking Aston Villa at Goodison Park this afternoon as the Toffees begin life after Rafa Benitez. The Spanish manager was sacked following a dismal run of results which have left them 16th in the Premier League with only five wins all season, and it is down to caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson to arrest the slide while the club searches for a permanent replacement.
Villa meanwhile are enjoying life under Steven Gerrard, and victory today would lift them into the top half of the table at least temporarily before this afternoon’s matches. The obvious sub-plot is Gerrard vs Ferguson, two legends of Liverpool and Everton respectively going head to head on Merseyside. “I was surprised and shocked Rafa wanted to go and have a go at that job, with his legacy and his relationship with Liverpool,” Gerrard said this week. “Big Dunc will take the reins for this game and it’s quite obvious what type of reaction he’ll get. We need to be ready for that.”
Follow all the reaction from the Premier League game at Goodison Park below.
Reaction from Aymeric Laporte
Manchester City’s goalscorer Aymeric Laporte spoke to Sky Sports and gave credit to Southampton’s performance even though he believes City did enough to win the game. He said:
I think we played really well and maybe deserved more, but if we don’t score more than one it’s very difficult.
“They have good players here and the pitch is small, so it is a little bit more difficult.
“I think we deserved more but we have to stay focussed and keep doing like we have the last few weeks. We’re done a great job, now we focus on the next one.
“In the end we managed the game well and I think we could have scored more. We are happy because we have done a great job.
“I would like to win three points tonight but they played very good. We played very well also. Sometimes you win when you don’t deserve it and tonight we got a point when we maybe deserved a little bit more.”
Southampton end Man City’s winning run with impressive draw at St Mary’s
Runaway leaders Manchester City were denied a 13th Premier League victory in a row after being held to a 1-1 draw by battling Southampton
Aymeric Laporte headed a 65th-minute equaliser for Pep Guardiola’s men following a surprise early opener from Saints defender Kyle Walker-Peters.
Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus struck the same post in the second period but City were unable to find a winner during incessant pressure as they failed to win a top-flight game for the first time since a shock 2-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace way back in late October.
Southampton end Man City’s winning run with impressive draw at St Mary’s
Aymeric Laporte headed a 65th-minute equaliser for Pep Guardiola’s men.
Southampton 1-1 Man City: Five things we learned as Saints end Premier League leaders’ winning run
Manchester City’s 12-game Premier League winning run came to an end on the south coast as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Southampton.
The hosts took the early lead at St. Mary’s thanks to an exquisite outside-of-the-boot finish from right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, his first league goal for the club, and they went into half-time with the advantage against the champions.
The second half saw City dominate possession and they eventually found the equaliser when Aymeric Laporte guided a Kevin De Bruyne free-kick into the net, but Pep Guardiola’s men could not find a winner and saw efforts from the likes of De Bruyne and substitute Gabriel Jesus hit the post.
Five things we learned as Southampton end Manchester City’s winning run
Southampton 1-1 Manchester City: Ralph Hasenhuttl's side deserved their point at St. Mary’s
Southampton 1 - 1 Man City
Manchester City’s winning run of 12 Premier League matches comes to an end with that draw. Liverpool will think that the title race is still alive. They face Crystal Palace tomorrow and can cut City’s lead to nine points.
Southampton 1 - 1 Man City
Kevin De Bruyne has now assisted as many Premier League goals as David Beckham (80), but the Belgian has done so having made 68 fewer appearances in the competition.
Full-time: Southampton 1 - 1 Man City
90+6 mins: There’s the final whistle! Southampton haven’t beaten Manchester City but it feels like they have. City drop points for the first time since losing to Crystal Palace in October.
The Saints take a point from the game but Man City’s lead at the top of the tbale extends to 12 over second placed Liverpool.
Southampton 1 - 1 Man City
90+3 mins: Elyounoussi loses possession and sprints back to recover the ball. He ends up fouling De Bruyne and giving City a free kick in a similar position to where they scored their first goal from.
De Bruyne flicks it into the box and Mohammed Salisu wins the header. He heads it down and then makes a block as Rodri fires a shot at goal. There’s a tussle in the box and Saints are awarded a free kick.
Mohammed Salisu has been exceptional for Southampton today. He doesn’t deserve to be on the losing side. Can Southampton hold on for a draw?
Southampton 1 - 1 Man City
90 mins: Kevin De Bruyne sends a shot from range wide of the right-hand post. Pep Guardiola is urging his team on from the sidelines. Ralph Hasenhuttl looks nervous.
There’s going to be six minutes of added time to play. Plenty of time for a winning goal.
Southampton 1 - 1 Man City
86 mins: Romeu sends the ball up to Diallo who’s closed down by Cancelo. Walker-Peters makes an overlapping run off the ball and allowd Diallo some space as Cancelo drops off. Diallo shoots from just outside the box and draws a save out of Ederson. Good signs from Southampton. They’re pushing for a winner.
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