Everton battled well yesterday afternoon, but their efforts simply were not enough to quell a resurgent Aston Villa side.
Racing into yet another 2-0 lead, many thought that surely the Toffees could not blow it again, just after doing similarly in their latest Premier League match.
Alas, they do not know the Toffees like its own fanbase does, and even at 2-0 no one ever felt comfortable.
Their task was made far harder when, after just 26 minutes, Vitaliy Mykolenko was forced to be substituted.
Left surrounded by physios before hobbling off, replaced by James Garner, Sean Dyche was truly down to the bare bones in this area.
Vitaliy Mykolenko injury update
Throwing a central midfielder into the full-back area in such a hugely important and tough match might have frustrated many, but realistically, Dyche had no other choice.
The supporters had rallied from it from the start, thinking it might provide a keen attacking impetus, and yet his positional deficiencies were quickly exposed over the hour that would come.
Not to mention that at left-back, they are now once again left with a 39-year-old Ashley Young to start.
When quizzed about Mykolenko, Dyche would issue the following short but important update on the Ukraine international to BBC Sport: ‘He said he felt ill, so we had to take it off.’
Therefore, hopefully this is little more than a one or two-day setback.
James Garner’s right-back experiment struggled vs Aston Villa
Although it was, in theory, an experiment that could have worked, Garner’s deputisation at right-back being at Villa Park was the baptism of fire that he simply did not need.
Especially given how relentless Unai Emery’s side are at attacking such weaknesses, boasting a whole host of offensive options constantly ready to pounce.
Villa’s first goal saw a ball played in behind the Manchester United academy graduate, which then allowed Lucas Digne to find Ollie Watkins at the back post.
Their second saw a long ball again played in behind that flank, where Jack Harrison was forced to fill in, and his unfortunate flick gifted Watkins his second.
Then, by that point, the third goal felt like a foregone conclusion.
Garner may have thrived at right-back in a possession-based team at international level, but for Everton, where they surrender the ball in order to have perceived solidity, he did not fit in well.
Hopefully, this can mark the end of this experiment, and provoke some action in the next transfer window.
Everton did want Kieran Trippier over the summer, so there’s one target they could seek to explore.
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