Premier League ever-presents Everton and Aston Villa met at Villa Park this afternoon for the 198th instalment of the top-flight's most played fixture.
The match pitted two Belgian international strikers, Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke against each other, and it was the latter who had the first opportunity to make his mark on the contest.
However, he saw his seventh-minute penalty saved by Tim Howard, and his compatriot Lukaku later rubbed salt into his wounds by netting the opening goal on 68 minutes, shooting into the bottom corner from substitute Leon Osman's pass.
The provider of Everton's first added his own name to the scoresheet on 80 minutes when he secured the Toffees their second away win in 13 matches, and one that sees them climb to third in the table.
Below, you can read how the action unfolded in the Midlands.
Afternoon, all! This is the 198th instalment of the most played top-flight football fixture in history, as Aston Villa and Everton meet at Villa Park in the Premier League.
In recent years, Villa have had the better of the results, claiming 17 wins compared to Everton's eight, since the inception of the Premier League in 1992.
Team news coming your way shortly...
VILLA: Guzan; Bacuna, Vlaar, Baker, Luna; Westwood, Weimann, Delph; Agbonlahor, Benteke, Tonev
SUBS: Steer, Clark, El Ahmadi, Helenius, Sylla, Kozak, Lowton
EVERTON: Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Mirallas, McCarthy, Barry, Pienaar; Barkley; Lukaku
SUBS: Joel, Jelavic, Oviedo, Deulofeu, Naismith, Osman, Stones
The headline inclusion in the home lineup is that of Christian Benteke, who made his comeback from a hip injury off the bench in the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
The Belgian striker makes his first Premier League start in over a month, and will have a fair amount of attacking support because of the offensive XI named by Paul Lambert.
Bulgarian international winger Aleksander Tonev will play off the left flank, with Gabriel Agbonlahor also providing pace and width on the opposite wing. The boyhood Villa forward has yet to find the net in the Premier League this season, though, something he will be hoping to change today.
Tonev's inclusion means that Andreas Weimann will operate in a deeper than usual role and will likely form a central midfield three with Ashley Westwood and Fabian Delph, who has indicated this week that he would like to spend the rest of his career at Villa Park.
Delph also had some kind words to say about Villa's American owner Randy Lerner. He told reporters: "I'd love to be here for the rest of my career, but that's not up to me. I'm sure if I stay fit, which is a big thing for me, then hopefully I might be offered a new contract.
"For me it's about staying fit and helping my team-mates and just repaying people back. Randy, the chairman here, has been brilliant. Every time I've got injured he's been positive with me.
"He owns the club and if I'm injured what good am I? I personally feel like I went missing for a few years. He always takes time to ask how I am and tells me what he thinks I can do better and how I can push on."
Karim El Ahmadi and Libor Kozak are dropped to a bench which also includes Nicklas Helenius, who is still waiting for his first goal since arriving from Danish club Aalborg this summer.
Benteke will be up against a familiar face this afternoon, with his good friend and Belgian international colleague Romelu Lukaku leading the Everton line.
The two compete for the lone striker role in their country's starting XI, but Lukaku insisted this week that any rivalry they have is friendly, and he refused to declare who of them was the better player.
He told Sky Sports News: "A rivalry is when you don't like a person. I like Christian very much as a person, as a human being and as player as well.
"We were together all the time during the international break and we speak all the time. I have known him since I was 14 years old. Our families know each other.
"It is up to other people to judge. I would never say I was the best. I just want to improve and entertain people."
Lukaku has scored four Premier League goals in six appearances, while Benteke has found the net three times in the same amount of top-flight appearances. So, not much between them!
Neither were on target in their last outing, but Steven Pienaar was - 10 seconds into his return from injury! The South African scored the winner of the bench against Hull City, and is rewarded by Roberto Martinez, who restores Pienaar to his usual berth on the left wing.
The former Ajax and Spurs playmaker will resume his partnership on the left flank with Leighton Baines, and the pair make one of the best combinations in the Premier League. Villa right-back Leandro Bacuna may have his hands full this afternoon!
Leon Osman makes way for Pienaar in the only change to the Toffees XI that began the victory over the Tigers at Goodison Park last Saturday, which kept Everton unbeaten at home throughout 2013.
However, Everton's form on the road has been far less impressive. They have only won one of their last 12 away matches, but Martinez will see today's game as a real opportunity to better that record against a team that have struggled to pick up points at home.
Villa have won more away games during Lambert's reign than they have home games, with their only success at Villa Park this season coming with a surprising 3-2 win over Manchester City.
Around 10 minutes until kickoff in the Midlands...
ONE TO WATCH: Fabian Delph has been earning rave reviews in the centre of Villa's midfield this season, with some calling for his inclusion in the next England squad. He will be in charge of marshalling Ross Barkley, who will occupy the number 10 role for Everton today and has already played himself into Roy Hodgson's thoughts.
STAT: Nine of the last 13 Premier League meetings between these two sides have been drawn, including a six-goal thriller in February of this year. Everton won the corresponding fixture last season, though, with a 3-1 triumph at Villa Park.
PREDICTION: Everton have been playing well of late and I expect them to turnaround their recent away troubles with victory today. I'll plump for 2-1 to the Toffees.
Here we go then, the action is underway in the Midlands...
Mirallas makes an early break down the right wing and crosses to the near post, where Lukaku had made an intelligent run. Vlaar follows him, though, and gets a block in, although a goal kick is given.
UPDATE: We have our first Premier League goal of the afternoon, and it has come at Old Trafford, where Peter Crouch has scored to put Stoke 1-0 ahead against Manchester United.
Mirallas breaks the offside trap and latches onto McCarthy's chipped ball over the top. He has a chance to lob Guzan, but instead gets the ball down and tries to square it for Lukaku, but Luna intercepts.
PENALTY! Villa have an early spot kick as Benteke makes a run in behind the Everton defence and gets in front of Coleman, who clips the Belgian's heels inside the area. The Toffees full-back was trying to avoid making a tackle, but he definitely made the contact which took Benteke to ground.
SUPERB SAVE! A fantastic stop from Tim Howard! Benteke picked himself up to take the spot kick himself, and it was a good one, heading for the inside of the left post. However, Howard guessed the right way and stretched upwards and right to brilliantly palm it away. Opportunity spurned by Villa...
Everton are wearing a rather loud yellow strip this afternoon, but it is the famous Claret and Blue shirts that are have had more of the ball. Neither Barkley or Lukaku have been in the game as of yet.
Of course, there will be a very familiar face to the home fans in the Everton lineup in the shape of Gareth Barry, who spent 12 seasons at Villa Park before leaving for Manchester City.
The ex-England international is fouled in the middle of the park by his former Villa teammate Gabriel Agbonlahor, who is operating from the left flank, with Tonev playing on the right of a front three.
Everton have improved in the last few minutes and have earned several free kicks, the most recent of which was in a good position on the right touchline. Baines whipped the delivery in, but it was above and beyond the Everton bodies in the box and Guzan made an easy claim.
SAVE! Howard thwarts Benteke again after a brilliant Villa move! Agbonlahor plays a clever pass inside to Delph, who found the run of Tonev coming off the right wing. The Bulgarian takes one touch before playing a reverse pass to Benteke, whose first touch is clumsy, but still allows him to get a volley away which Howard dives across to save. Bacuna was unmarked at the far post, too. Benteke should have perhaps squared it. Great football by Villa, though.
CHANCE! What an opening 25 minutes Tim Howard has had! Weimann is played onside by Coleman and is through one-on-one with the Everton keeper, who charges off his line to prevent the Austrian having any time to set himself for a shot. Howard makes the block and bides his defenders some time to get back into position and outnumber Weimann as they battle for the second ball.
SAVE! It is now Guzan's turn to keep his side on level terms, as Coleman gets to the right byline and chips a cross towards Lukaku, whose powerful header is denied by a great reflex stop!
WOODWORK! Barkley travels forward with the ball and gets to the edge of the area before shooting, and a deflection off Tonev sees the effort dip and land on the crossbar and behind for a corner!
CHANCE! This game is being played at such a pace, I can hardly keep up! Another chance for Everton and Lukaku, who plays a one-two with Mirallas before wriggling away from Baker and poking a shot towards goal which is kept out by the legs of Guzan.
BLOCK! The visitors break down the right, and with Luna out of position, Mirallas has acres of space. He has Lukaku in support, but instead dribbles into the box, goes one way, then the other and then shoots, via the stretching leg of Baker, just wide of the near post. Great block by the Villa defender.
Vlaar collects a pass from Ashley Westwood just inside the Everton half and shifts the ball in front of him before slicing a 40-yard shot high and wide. That was ultra ambitious, and perhaps a bit daft considering the form that Howard has been in today. He was never going to be beaten from there.
The first sign of weakness from the Howard gloves comes from a Villa corner, as the American stopper flaps at a Villa corner, and is lucky his tame intervention evaded Weimann at the back post.
Barkley collects a pass inside from Lukaku and tries to create some space for a shot on the edge of the box, but Vlaar prevents him doing so with a strong tackle. Everton had Mirallas and Coleman free on the wing too, so perhaps a pass to the right may have been the better option...
Antonio Luna, who has played every minute of Villa's Premier League campaign to date, seems to have pulled a muscle while stretching to try and control a ball over the top of the Villa back line.
SUBSTITUTION: Luna is unable to continue, and Lambert makes the change before the break, bringing on Ciaran Clark - a switch that will see Nathan Baker shift across to left-back.
HALF-TIME: VILLA 0-0 EVERTON
How this game is still goalless, I am not sure. Many expected Belgian strikers Benteke and Lukaku to be the stars of the show, but they have been outshone by an American goalkeeper at either end.
Benteke had the best chance of the first-half after being fouled by Coleman in the area, but his eighth-minute penalty was brilliantly saved by Howard, who kept him out again on 23 minutes following a lovely and quick passing move by the hosts.
When Lukaku was involved, it was Howard's US compatriot Brad Guzan who came to his side's rescue, producing a brilliant reflex stop to foil the Chelsea loanee's header. He also saved with his legs from a tame Lukaku poke, but was beaten by Barkley's deflected strike, which came back off the bar.
STATS: Everton have shaded possession with 55%, with each sides having two shots on target, both of which were kept out by the two outstanding performers of the half - the goalkeepers.
The action has resumed at Villa Park...
Mirallas constantly got in behind Luna in the first half, and despite Villa's change of left-back, the same thing happens here, at the beginning of the second. The Belgian winger loses Nathan Baker and sees a cross cleared behind for a corner, from which Lukaku heads over the bar from 15 yards.
This time it is Villa who make the most of their space on the right flank, as Weimann fizzes in a low cross which is just behind Benteke, but bound for Agbonlahor before Jagielka intercepts with his head.
Westwood has a chance to play in Benteke through the middle, with Distin pulled out of position to cover for a defensive mistake, but the pass from the Villa midfielder is over Benteke's head.
CLOSE! Benteke lets a pass roll across him on the edge of the box and shoots left footed. Jagielka makes an important block, but the deflection nearly catches out Howard as it loops upwards and onto the roof of the net. Very similar to Barkley's effort in the first period...
Agbonlahor runs with real pace away from McCarthy, and through Coleman as he charges into the box. His low cross towards Benteke is turned away by Jagielka - another important intervention by the Everton man. Lambert will want Agbonlahor to embark on those runs more often.
CLOSE! Delph shows a good change of pace to run between two Everton players and towards the edge of the box, where he attempts to bend a shot into the far corner. The effort hits Jagielka's head, completely wrong foots Howard and comes within a couple of yards of sneaking in!
SUBSTITUTION: Roberto Martinez makes his first change of the afternoon, swapping Leon Osman for Ross Barkley, who has had one of his quieter days. You can't expect the 19-year-old to grab the headlines every week, but some credit must go to Villa midfielder Fabian Delph, who has been largely responsible for restricting the young England international any time or space.
BOOKING: McCarthy picks up the first yellow card of the afternoon. Westwood nicks the ball away from him, but the Toffees man was committed to his sliding challenge and he goes through his opposite number in the middle of the park with some force.
Westwood left the field for treatment, but is okay to carry on. Lambert may argue post-match that McCarthy was fortunate not to be sent off, but I think a yellow card was probably fair.
GOAL! VILLA 0-1 EVERTON (ROMELU LUKAKU)
It is Everton's Belgian international striker who draws first blood! It is lovely one-touch buildup play by the Toffees on the left, as Baines passes inside to Osman, who immediately turns the ball into the path of Lukaku to strike first time into the bottom corner from 18 yards. Clark had been drawn across to deal with Osman, allowing Lukaku to run into the space and apply a convincing finish to a good move.
PENALTY APPEAL! Lukaku runs on to a chip over the top and is tussling with Vlaar. The ball definitely strikes the Villa defender's outstretched arm as it bounced around, but it did not appear to be deliberate. There were suspicions of offside on Lukaku anyway...
Weimann collects a smart layoff from Agbonlahor and then maybe should have shifted the ball to Bacuna on the right wing, but instead shoots wildly off target from 25 yards.
CHANCE! Weimann makes an intelligent run into the right channel and Westwood finds him. The Austrian picks out Agbonlahor with his cutback, but there is no conviction to the Englishman's 12-yard shot, which is straight into the hands of Howard. Villa's best chance of the second half.
SUBSTITUTION: Lambert throws on another striker, with Nicklas Helenius being introduced in place of Tonev, who had displayed some nice touches but wasn't involved in the game enough.
SUBSTITUTION: Steven Pienaar gets another 80 minutes under his belt as he continues his comeback from injury. He wasn't at his sharpest today, as you might expect, and makes way for Steven Naismith for the final 10 minutes of this nicely-poised contest.
GOAL! VILLA 0-2 EVERTON (LEON OSMAN)
Everton are on their way to three points, and it is the substitute Osman who has bagged their second. The Toffees take a short corner, which eventually comes to Gareth Barry. He advances into the box and takes his time before pulling the ball back to Osman, who tucks a shot away into the bottom corner from almost exactly the same position from where Lukaku scored earlier on!
CLOSE! The visitors again catch Villa off guard with a quick set piece, as Baines rolls a pass inside to Naismith, who turns unchecked and shoots a couple of yards wide of the post.
Bacuna crosses from the right and Benteke wins the header above Distin, but the ball only loops upwards and Everton can pounce on the second ball and launch an attack of their own.
SUBSTITUTION: Barcelona loanee Gerard Deulofeu will get another brief Premier League cameo as he replaces Mirallas for stoppage time, of which there will be FOUR minutes...
Deulofeu shows a trick or two as he gets down the outside and attempts to drill a ball across the six-yard box, which Baker intercepts to turn behind for a corner.
SHOT! Baines picks the ball up 35 yards out and dances through a couple of very soft Villa challenges before shooting low and wide of Guzan's left post.
FULL-TIME: VILLA 0-2 EVERTON
So, it was Romelu Lukaku who claimed the Belgian bragging rights over Christian Benteke as Everton record a 2-0 victory and just their second away success in 13 matches. Chelsea loanee Lukaku got the first, and substitute Leon Osman secured the points that take Everton third in the Premier League.
That's it from me for this afternoon. Make sure you stay tuned to Sports Mole for live coverage of what should be an unmissable El Classico this evening, and also the Premier League clash between Southampton and Fulham at St Mary's. Thanks for joining us today. Until next time...
