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Leon Bailey applauds fans after the match. Alamy Stock Photo
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Second-half Aston Villa blitz clinches victory over Everton

Earlier Watford defeated Norwich 3-1.

LAST UPDATE | Sep 18th 2021, 8:13 PM

ASTON VILLA’S SECOND-half blitz downed Everton as the hosts ran riot to clinch an impressive 3-0 win.

They scored three times in nine minutes with Matty Cash, Lucas Digne’s own goal and Leon Bailey easing them to victory at Villa Park.

The hosts could even afford the luxury of keeping record buy Emi Buendia on the bench after he arrived back from Croatia, where he had been training to avoid quarantining following international duty with Argentina, just hours before.

It helped highlight the lack of depth at Everton, who could only name eight substitutes, as they crashed to a first defeat under Rafa Benitez.

The Toffees remain fifth, with Villa climbing to 10th, in the early Premier League table.

Benitez was already without the sidelined Dominic Calvert-Lewin and a shoulder injury also robbed him of Jordan Pickford while Richarlison was out after suffering an ankle injury against Burnley.

Mings’ header aside there had been few clear openings for either side but Villa remained sharper than Everton after the break.

Villa took total control with three goals in nine minutes as Digne suffered a personal nightmare and Everton collapsed.

First, with 24 minutes left, the defender was beaten to Ezri Konsa’s pass by Cash and the right back cut inside to fire high past Begovic for his first Villa goal.

Then Everton’s skipper glanced Bailey’s corner into his own net to double Villa’s lead.

Jacob Ramsey shot wide but worse was to come for the Toffees with 15 minutes left when Ings picked out Bailey on the left and the Jamaica international raced through to blast past Begovic.

featureimage Watford were 3-1 winners at Carrow Road.

Ismaila Sarr twice as Norwich’s losing start to the Premier League season extended to five games following a 3-1 defeat to Watford at Carrow Road.

The Hornets’ record signing, who had not scored since the opening-day win over Aston Villa, proved too good for the Norwich defence with his brace putting the game beyond the hosts.

The visitors had taken an early lead, which was the first sign of any cracks in the Norwich defence, as Emmanuel Dennis headed past Tim Krul after being marked poorly in the 17th minute.

Teemu Pukki struck his, and Norwich’s, second Premier League goal of the season to level the contest when he beat the offside trap before sending the ball over Ben Foster 10 minutes before half-time.

However, in the second half, Watford took a decisive lead in the 63rd minute with Sarr beating Grant Hanley to the ball before flicking it into the net and then being first to a parried shot from Josh King to tap home for his second 10 minutes from time.

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Press Association
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