Aston Villa avoid Everton 'heist' as Steven Gerrard gets big decisions right

Aston Villa picked up their first three points of the Premier League season by bouncing back from the opening weekend humbling at Bournemouth with a 2-1 win over Everton at Villa Park.

Danny Ings got off the mark for the season just after the half-hour mark with a fine turn and finish, some five minutes after Everton thought they had taken the lead, only for the video assistant referee to disallow an Anthony Gordon goal for offside. Ollie Watkins had assisted the first and was also the provider of the second, putting the ball on a plate for second-half substitute Emiliano Buendia to tap in.

Despite doubling their lead with five minutes of normal time remaining, Villa conspired to halve their own advantage as Lucas Digne got himself in a mess at the back post before putting the ball into the net past a prone Emiliano Martinez. The hosts did hold on, though, and this is what the national press made of the match...

Steven Gerrard got the better of his old England team-mate Frank Lampard as Aston Villa defeated Everton 2-1 for their first victory of the new Premier League season.

Ings found the net in the 31st minute at Villa Park though Danny Ings and substitute Emiliano Buendia looked to have sealed the points when he claimed a deserved second four minutes from time.

Everton gave a debut to new defensive signing Conor Coady but had looked toothless in attack until their new recruit Amadou Onana forced an own goal from Lucas Digne a minute later and left Villa hanging on.

Gerrard found himself facing uncomfortable questions after an opening defeat by Bournemouth last weekend but Tyrone Mings, stripped of the captaincy and then left on the bench, returned to a great reception, and this result will provide a shot of