Everton defender Vitalii Mykolenko was left bloodied during his team’s Premier League match with Aston Villa, after a nasty collision with team-mate James Tarkowski.
Ukraine international Mykolenko received treatment after clashing heads with his fellow defender, with blood visible above his left eye. He was eventually bandaged up and able to complete the fixture, though seven minutes were added on at the end of the game following the delay.
The 24-year-old contributed to a strong defensive effort that saw Everton become only the third team this season to prevent Unai Emery’s Villa from scoring in a Premier League game. As a result, Everton is now in 17th place and Villa is in third, but Sean Dyche’s team is now one point ahead of their relegation opponents, Luton.
Even though the game ended in a draw, it was entertaining since both teams had goals disallowed. Alex Moreno believed he had opened the score in the first half, but an offside call denied him, and Abdoulaye Doucoure’s celebrations were also cut short when he defeated Emi Martinez in the closing moments.
Since his tenure as Arsenal’s manager ended, Emery has managed Villa for 97 games, and this goalless draw marked his first since that time. They finish the weekend in fifth place, behind Manchester City on goal differential following the reigning champions’ thrilling late victory at Newcastle. They have now only won once in their last four games.
After Friday night’s draw between rivals Burnley and Luton, Everton knew they would finish the weekend outside of the bottom three. But with a point deduction earlier in the campaign, every point counts as they try to get back to safety.
After the tie, Tarkowski said to Match of the Day, “We played okay.” “Today, I was the target of several cuts and bruises, but I relished the experience. I’m really relieved that the VAR decision went in our favour. This season, not many things have gone our way. The best chance we had was with Dominic’s [Calvert-Lewin].
“We’re still making progress and striving to reach our goals. The 10 point penalty is present. We have continued to play, and it is now our responsibility to continue scoring points.”
On Wednesday, Everton will play their FA Cup third-round replay against Crystal Palace. After his red card in the first game was overturned, striker Calvert-Lewin will be eligible for the match. He will be looking to score again after missing a fantastic opportunity to beat Villa keeper Martinez on Sunday.
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