Everton secured their first league victory in more than a month - and just their second of the season - with a convincing 3-0 win at home to Aston Villa this afternoon.
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Roberto Martinez rang the changes as he looked to find a wining formula once more, and Ross Barkley looked like a man intent on making up for lost time in his first start of the season following a knee injury.
The 20-year-old fired an effort narrowly over the crossbar in the sixth minute before showing clever footwork to draw Kieran Richardson into a foul on the edge of the box shortly afterwards.
In the 18th minute, Everton took the lead as a wicked Leighton Baines delivery was nodded home from close range by Phil Jagielka, who has taken his tally to three goals in his last five games for Everton and England.
Villa were restricted to speculative efforts for the first half an hour, but Alan Hutton engineered a good chance for himself and almost levelled with a left-footed strike from the edge of the box which curled just wide of the far post.
It was then the turn of Everton's right-back to come close, as Seamus Coleman's powerful drive was smartly turned away by a sprawling Brad Guzan, who ensured that his side went into the break just one goal behind.
However, the American stopper gifted Romelu Lukaku a goal in the 49th minute, when the Belgian's low strike squirmed beneath him.
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Everton looked more like the side that impressed last season and Leon Osman came close for the dominant hosts before Coleman wrapped up the victory when he tapped home a Baines cross from close range with a quarter of an hour remaining.
The win has moved Everton up to 13th in the table, one place behind Villa, who have now lost four Premier League games on the bounce.
Kristian Johnson
