Everton end miserable run, Aston Villa draw with Brentford
Everton secured a vital win in their bid to avoid relegation against Burnley on Saturday, while Aston Villa drew 3-3 against Brentford at Villa Park.
Everton went into their match against second-from-bottom Burnley desperately searching for a spark of inspiration after a run of 13 Premier League matches without a win.
They struggled to impose themselves but benefited from a huge error from visiting goalkeeper Arijanet Muric in first-half stoppage time. Muric took too much time to clear the ball and when he did it was straight at Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the ball rebounding off the forward into the net.
The win means Everton are now four points above the relegation zone. But the club need everything they can get as they wait nervously to find out if they will be handed a second points deduction this season for breaking Premier League financial rules.
Fourth-placed Villa, beaten in midweek by City, will rue a second-half collapse that could prove costly in their chase to qualify for next season's Champions League. Unai Emery's men drew 3-3 against Brentford but only after tossing away a 2-0 lead.