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Villa, despite coming back from a goal down, will surely not be best pleased after leaving Goodison with only a point, despite Martin O'Neill's assertion to the contrary. Not that they deserved anything else in a match largely devoid of clear-cut chances.

John Carew's first Premier League goal of the season gained Villa the draw, the big Norwegian striker coming on as substitute at half-time and almost immediately scoring after Diniyar Bilyaletdinov had put Everton ahead in first-half stoppage-time. The Everton midfielder's day would later be spoiled by his sending-off late in the match for an ill-advised challenge on Stiliyan Petrov.

Villa's Carlos Cuéllar was also dismissed for a second yellow card shortly afterwards, though it was hardly a match that warranted two red cards.

The sound of David Moyes whingeing about fixture congestion had been the dominant theme of the week, perhaps to distract from Everton's position in the bottom half. There used to be a time at this proud club when finishing outside the top four was considered a disaster. True, for a club of limited financial resources, they have done well enough recently, but there has always been a feeling that it could not last.

Neither side ever looked likely to hit explosive form in front of goal. Indeed, throughout the first half there had seemed little prospect of any advantage being gained. Marouane Fellaini's long-range shot had power but was straight at Brad Friedel, who knocked it down with the ease you would expect from a goalkeeper making his 200th consecutive appearance.

Then, with Villa never having looked unduly uncomfortable, Tim Cahill managed to get the better of Richard Dunne, and when Yakubu failed to control, the ball fell kindly to Bilyaletdinov, whose low shot beat Friedel to his left.

It was a lead that Villa erased immediately at the beginning of the second half. James Milner was replaced by Carew, who had scored in his three previous matches against Everton. His presence was instantly effective, the Everton defence dissolving into panic. And when Tim Howard could only parry Gabriel Agbonlahor's shot, Carew pounced.

Everton had the more reason to be satisfied with the point, though Moyes recognises well enough that his team need to pick things up quickly if they are to re-establish themselves in the top half, let alone stay there.

Source: guardian.co.uk