The off-field problems Emery's side MUST solve if they are to secure UCL place

Aston Villa's 11–game unbeaten run was brought to a grinding halt as they slipped to a 1–0 defeat against Everton at Villa Park.

The Villans had the opportunity to move within four points of leaders Arsenal and climb above Man City into second place in the Premier League, but Thierno Barry's 59th–minute strike proved decisive for the Toffees.

Daily Mail Sport's TOM COLLOMOSSE was there to run the rule over the key talking points from the game.

Villa's off–field tasks

Villa's bid to recapture their place in the Champions League next season threatens to be decided in the treatment room and transfer market as much as it is on the pitch.

Thierno Barry's second–half goal for Everton handed a huge boost to Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title, with the Gunners ending the weekend seven points clear. More pertinently for Villa, it ended a run of 11 consecutive home wins and cost them the chance to go second.

Unai Emery's side came into this match short of their first–choice central midfield pair, Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana, due to injury, and lost skipper John McGinn only 18 minutes into the contest. Ross Barkley is also sidelined.

Everton deserved their win here, particularly as they too were depleted by injury, plus the absence of Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye at the Africa Cup of Nations. Yet had Villa had even one of Kamara, Onana or McGinn for the whole of this game, they would surely not have lost it. Though Villa have prioritised signing a No9 during this transfer window, they may soon have to change that perspective given the sudden lack of resources in the middle.

Though Emery hopes Onana will soon return, he admits Kamara – arguably Villa's most important player – could be ruled out for a significant period with a damaged knee. McGinn did not look in good shape when he went off, either. Unlike Arsenal and Manchester City, Villa simply do not have the depth to ride out such absences. On the bench here, Villa had two goalkeepers and two youngsters – George Hemmings and Jamaldeen Jimoh–Aloba.

Villa missed out on the signing of Conor Gallagher, who joined Tottenham from Atletico Madrid last week, but will surely pursue at least one new midfielder across what remains of the window. If Villa do their business well, Emery's coaching should do the rest. But one thing is clear – the transfer mistakes Villa made in the summer simply cannot be repeated.

The early signals are not good. Villa thought they could dispense with Donyell Malen last week but as Ollie Watkins struggled here, the Dutchman was scoring on his debut for Roma at Torino.

Fabulous Everton

This was an outstanding display from Everton. David Moyes' team saw Jake O'Brien's first–half header harshly ruled out for offside against Harrison Armstrong, but they did not lose heart. The winner came as Pau Torres made a mess of collecting Ezri Konsa's pass and when Emi Martinez somehow spilled Dwight McNeil's shot from the loose ball, Barry produced a clever dinked finish to give his side the lead.

Everton, don't forget, are without Kiernan Dewsbury–Hall and Jarrad Branthwaite, as well as their AFCON duo. You would not have known it, as the Blues were tactically excellent and in Barry, they have a centre–forward who may be starting to show the potential he had displayed before in his short career.

Yes, they had moments of luck. Evann Guessand hit the bar with a looping header and on his 100th appearance for Villa, Morgan Rogers' radar in front of goal was unusually faulty. But Everton's display had echoes of Nottingham Forest's against Arsenal yesterday, and they showed that with strong organisation, any club in the league can trouble the leading teams.

Spare a thought for West Ham fans, too. Even though they won at Tottenham on Saturday, the Hammers remain five points adrift of safety and may still lose their battle for survival. Many were glad to see the back of Moyes, even though he won a European trophy, as they felt his style of football too conservative. With Everton only three points off a probable Champions League spot, those fans could be forgiven for questioning their own judgement.

Will Rogers follow Grealish path?

Bizarrely but predictably booed on his return to Villa Park, Jack Grealish was a reminder of what this club used to be, while Rogers is the symbol of what they hope to become.

Grealish's influence in helping to re–establish Villa at the highest level from 2019–21 cannot be overstated and even though some supporters were sore when he left for Manchester City, Grealish was too good for what Villa were then. The £100million came in pretty handy, too.

There were many suitors for Rogers, another local lad like Grealish, last summer, but all were put off when Villa made it clear they would need to bid a Grealish–type sum to buy him. After a slow start, Rogers' performances this season prove Villa co–owner Nassef Sawiris was right to take such a hard–line stance.

Champions League qualification or not, those same clubs will be back again for Rogers in the summer, especially as he looks nailed on to start for England at the World Cup. Yet where Villa were unable to hang on to Grealish nearly five years ago, they will be more confident of a different outcome with Rogers.

Though Villa will always have to reckon with Premier League and UEFA rules when doing business, qualifying for the Champions League would help their chances of keeping Rogers. That is why Villa's work over the remaining days of January is so important – and why they will be praying for good news from the medical department.