Everton’s Champions League hopes received a fatal blow when a late strike from Anwar El Ghazi condemned Carlo Ancelotti’s side to their eighth home defeat of the season.
Goals in the opening 20 minutes from England forwards Ollie Watkins and Dominic Calvert-Lewin set the tone for a pulsating game that produced chances galore at either end.
But after hitting the woodwork twice and seeing Jordan Pickford make three saves to deny Watkins, Villa celebrated when El Ghazi fired into the corner after 80 minutes to leave their hosts eight points behind fourth-place Chelsea albeit with a game in hand.