John Textor this week compared owning Everton to being President of the United States but he may decide that the job facing Donald Trump or Kamala Harris is easier than the one that could soon be his.
For the second time in a fortnight, Everton threw away a two-goal lead to emerge defeated, this time by Aston Villa. Though this collapse was not as dramatic as the home loss to Bournemouth, who scored three times in the closing minutes at Goodison Park on August 31, it may prove no less damaging to Sean Dyche and his players. They are still to pick up a point this season.
It will be no consolation, either, that it took one of the best goals of the season so far to sink Dyche’s men. Jhon Duran, Villa’s king of chaos, had been on the field only seven minutes when he scored brilliantly from distance. American businessman Textor must sell his 45 per cent stake in Crystal Palace to take control at Everton and he is trying to do so with the club suffering their worst start to a top-flight season since 1958.
It was looking so good for Everton when they raced into a two-goal lead through Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The advantage had disappeared by the time Ollie Watkins had scored either side of half-time and then Duran put the seal on it, though Calvert-Lewin still hit the underside of the bar late on.
They were breathing a sigh of relief in the posh seats here as the mooted protest against £97 ticket prices for Villa’s Champions League home games barely materialised.
Duran celebrates his third goal of the season with Morgan Rogers in the corner at Villa Park
Duran wheels away in celebration after scoring a goal of the season contender against Everton
The Colombian was mobbed by his teammates having scored what proved to be the winner
There was a small banner in the North Stand that read ‘Stop Exploiting Loyalty’, and a handful of red cards brandished in the Holte End. That was about it, though, and under-fire Villa chief Chris Heck would have settled for that when he woke this morning.
Villa have an excellent record against Everton since they returned to the top flight five years ago and the early signs suggested they would maintain it. There were half-chances for Watkins and Morgan Rogers, who was being watched closely by interim England manager Lee Carsley.
Everton were struggling to escape their own half yet somehow, they took the lead in the 16th minute, and it was a painful moment for Amadou Onana. The Belgian midfielder, who left Goodison Park for Villa in a £50million deal last summer, had his pocket picked by McNeil and though the angled shot was relatively weak, it was accurate enough to creep into the far corner.
Emi Martinez knew he should have done better and punched the turf in anger. Unable to contain their glee, the visiting fans taunted Villa supporters with chants of ‘Amadou, Amadou Onana’.
A little more than 10 minutes later, it was two. McNeil swung over the kick from the right and, with Martinez unsure whether to stay or go, Calvert-Lewin climbed unchallenged to head home from six yards.
Stunned as Villa were, they knew Rogers would always cause problems for Everton. Collecting a pass from John McGinn, the forward stepped around James Tarkowski only to shoot too close to Jordan Pickford.
Villa finally got their goal nine minutes before the interval. Onana found Lucas Digne on the left and the Frenchman, in space yet again, chipped to the far post where Watkins did superbly to leap above Michael Keane and head past Pickford – his first goal after an eight-game drought.
Having put his side back in the match, Watkins could not level it just after the break. Pickford saved brilliantly from Rogers and when the loose ball broke to Jacob Ramsey, his effort ricocheted off James Garner – on for the injured Vitalii Mykolenko – and rebounded against Watkins, who was unable to readjust in time.
Dwight McNeil gave Everton the dream start against Villa with a long-range strike
Watkins scored his first goals of the season and sparked Villa's thrilling comeback victory
Calvert-Lewin almost handed Everton a late equaliser but his effort smacked off the crossbar
Villa had an even narrower escape moments later. The flag stayed down as Calvert-Lewin ran on to McNeil’s pass and rounded Martinez, but Ezri Konsa arrived in the nick of time to slide it behind.
How costly it proved as the demons of Bournemouth started to haunt Everton again. Attempting to cut out Youri Tielemans’ pass, Jack Harrison could only divert it into path of Watkins. From prime position, the England forward steadied himself and steered past Pickford.
Watkins might have had a hat-trick when he was inches away from turning in Rogers’ cross following a slick move involving Tielemans and John McGinn.
Watkins berated Rogers for overhitting the pass on that occasion. With the next chance, though, he had only himself to blame for guiding substitute Ian Maatsen’s cut-back wide of the target.
But Everton had not been tamed, and Calvert-Lewin was desperately close to connecting with another cross from the impressive McNeil.
Then their nightmare was complete. Duran seized a return pass from Tielemans 30 yards out, took aim and promptly found the top corner. Even Pickford, one of the league’s most athletic goalkeepers, could do nothing about it.
Everton tried to respond and Calvert-Lewin came within an ace of doing so as he barged Pau Torres off the ball and clattered one off the underside of the bar.