Looked to be to be a very soft penalty.

I'd say, Barkley looks to be the man to turn this game in our favour. There is an air of excitement when he is in possession.

Sub Osman for Barkley, wasn't his day today, got swarmed under the pressure from Villa, surely though Osman is hardly going to be able to keep up with their raw energy?

Let's see how much resolve our defence has now though, we know we never hold the lead.

Typically, I missed the goals as Windows 8 was being its usual self: crap.

Up to 3rd place now. Yes, we should have been 3 down, but Howard played a blinder today, as did all the lads.

COYB, IMWT!!

Keep it going Toffees!

Credit to Ozzie, he has got a lot of abuse in recent months, I was calling for him to be dropped myself as I think his displays had not merited a start.

Delighted to keep the clean sheet too after our recent displays at the back.

You nearly threw in the towel there, Jim.

We had some superb goal-keeping to thank for keeping us in it, but the first 20 minutes of the second half aside, we always looked like we carried a threat.

I thought most of our players played very well, but Barry and McCarthy in particular looked superb. Pienaar still looks like he needs a few matches to get sharp. Barkley did ok, but is still learning. He'll only get better by playing in games, though.

The substitution of Osman was inspired. He no longer has the legs to play against quality opposition at the start of a match when they are fresh, but in the last 30 minutes when tiredness is starting to take its toll his experience and ability can really tell as it did with an assist and goal.

Most pleasing was how after the first goal was scored, we refused to sit back and defend the one goal lead, but instead continued to push for a second. The control of the game in the final 10 minutes was a joy to behold. Its how football should be played.

Young Barkley looking a bit jaded, poor decision-making — Lukaku wouldn't have been given the goalscoring opportunity if Barkley had still been on, it was a wonderful pass from Ossie. Then he tops his day with another excellent created goal.

Everton players are brilliant some of the time and useless some of the time but none of them are brilliant all of the time and neither are they useless all of the time.

So how many of you think he should never take Barkley off and never bring Osman on? Or does this week prove that some players are not awful all the time. Time will come where his age will count against him, but until them, he does his job.

Mirallas is getting back into form, though I still didn't think he was particlarly good today - just a little anonymous than the rest of the season thus far.

If we can remain unbeaten against Spurs and Those Who Must Not be Named then we are gonna have a good Crimbo.

Shall we call it Plan-B? His selection did not do as well as we might have thought rubbing our hands with anticipatory glee on the forum pre-match. And then he changes things. So much for the few on here who call him a one-trick-pony.

There's a lot to be said for having a skillful player with good positional sense - Osman - turning into a final third of the game sub. He was terrific when he came on and a huge pat on the back for Gareth for that lovely pass for the 2nd goal.

That is the sign of a good team. Playing away, home team getting the better of things, but able to turn the match around and quite literally stifling Villa after that 1st goal and simply not letting them get back into it by? Not shoring up defence but pushing forwards for a second putting them on the back foot. Great stuff. The passing game was sublime in the last 15 mins. Coasting.

And what support today! Thanks to one and all!

(Can I mention that I loved the 'Moysey Moysey what's the score' ditty, a great roar with travelling blues singing along heartily with gusto).

There was a lovely sense of fellow-feeling and collective solidarity as the end of the game between gaffer, fans, and players. Players just clearly enjoying themselves and what they are achieving under Bobby with what he has brought to us and each and every fan lapping up every single second if it in joyous song.

Lovely. It's great to be a blue and to feel so good about what we do and are.

Bobby Martinez could turn out to be the most astute bit of business at the gaffer level for some time and I say 'could' as it is way too early to judge but on the basis of what we have had so far there is every reason in the world to be cheerful and little reason at all to be Entwhistle-glum.

Bobby-itis is infectious!

After listening to Osman say he was more or less guaranteed to start every week, it will clearly benefit him (or any player) to have some competition for starting places.

We were lucky to go in at half-time level, but how many times have we cursed our luck with deflected goals etc?

Even if it's just for a couple of hours, third in the League, and 18 points after 9 games is a wonderful start.

Massive game against Spurs next week, and a real test to gauge just what may be possible this season.

Set the game up to record. Got home, not knowing the result... Yep, no recording. WTF?

Log into NBC Sports to see if I can watch the replay on line. The idiots at NBC put the results of every EPL game just above the spot where you click to watch. Thanks NBC. Jeez. Maybe move the scores away from the replay tab? I dunno, just an idea. Useless feature thanks to a shit web layout. Geniuses at NBC.

Will watch MotD and the Review Show but happy for the result, despite the dejection of not being able to watch.

Damn TV. Well done Everton.

Frustrated but happy... Walking Oxymoron. Or maybe just the later end of that word...

You have to go online to watch the replays. It's on the WATCH LIVE link at NBC Sports. But again, you're gonna know the score before you watch as it's literally right in front of your face as you link to the game.

http://stream.nbcsports.com/liveextra/#replays

Bottom of the page. Click on "REPLAYS" and select Villa v Everton.

You have to log into your Directv account - username and password.

Just checked the page again and it's up without the score of the game in front of me. But it was there before... ruined watching of sorts knowing the result. But watching now.

To their credit it's phenomenal quality....

God that was amazing.

Will watch the entirety Paul. Away fans seem fantastic.

Its such an amazing feeling to start your saturday thinking that we will come up with a new way to win today ! The Spurs game will be an absolute CRACKER !!!

Only down side for me was Baines who didn't look arsed again for me and Seamus' distribution was poor at times.

Three cracking points - bring on Spurs.

Not poor at all. Don't think we were outplayed in the least frankly.

Coulda been 3-3 at half FFS. But on the whole I thought it was evenly contested.

And America is definitely set at the keeper position. We need to find a striker on a military base in Germany...

We were making life very difficult for ourselves in the first half, but we weren't helped by a prick of a linesman causing real uncertainty by simply refusing to put up the flag despite Villa players clearly being in offside positions — saw a couple of blues thrown out for screaming at him... and I thought I'd seen the back of every man back for a corner, but this was as bad as I've seen it; we were desperately slow getting out behind the clearances too, which allowed Villa to build up a head of steam early second half.

Really funny to see the introduction of Ossie now being viewed as a master stroke — especially when you consider the stick he took last week. He did play well and was one of half a dozen candidates for MotM. I spent last week slagging Jagielka, but he gets my vote for the way he snuffed out the threat from the big fella.

Biggest plus: The way we controlled things once we were ahead, we didn't go gungho but we completely took it away from Villa... the second goal was always going to come, such was our dominance of the ball.

The last few minutes were a joy: I haven't spent so long greeting every pass with an "Olé!!!" since ... Well... ever!

Just saw Osman's goal.

Did we have 10,000 fans there? Jesus the whole corner of the stadium was full of Evertonians. Fantastic.

Great game.

Good Bevy, good company, good match, fantastic result, amazing suport.

All the boxes ticked

That said, the way things are right now - if he wants to go - take a good price and either replace him or look at Garbutt coming through. He whipped in a cracking corner that his team scored from last week-end - got to look onwards and upwards with the new regime and keep the feel good factor going.

One game at a time - if we can beat Spurs - who knows where we can go... Ya just never know with Everton.

Anyone else notice a pattern?

It will be interesting when we play the shite as always but the midfield battle could be very interesting this time. A half decent level headed ref would do for starters.

Obviously Martinez deserves a lot of credit for the subs, but I think the most gratifying thing for me is that the victory is largely down to of our most criticised, yet probably loyalists servants.

Howard, at times literally singlehandedly, kept us in the game in the first half, whilst Osman was the man who changed the attacking focus and obviously had a strong hand in both goals.

Huge congrats to both of them, I hope they can enjoy the praise they should be receiving this weekend.

Elsewhere, there's been no shortage of mentions about Barkley's decision making, but I'm not too worried about that and hope he's not chastised too much - creative players have to be given freedom to fuck up sometimes, if you could tell them precisely what to do they wouldn't be creative playmakers.
Pienaar looked a little off the pace (as you'd expect considering time out) and thus his and Baines penetration still isn't up to the levels it can be. By contrast I thought Mirallas was largely excellent, always offering himself as an outlet and breaking with pace.

Barry was assured again and McCarthy too seemed to be doing the job in winning the ball back, although it was noticeable we weren't controlling midfield and stifling the opponents in the way we have in some other matches (at least until the Osman change).

The concern for me however is how fragile we looked at the back, especially in the first half when Villa really should have put away at least one chance and I dread to think what Arsenal's attacking line or our neighbours' SAS could do to us.

Then again, it's not a night to be churlish. We're joint 3rd, just 4 points off the top after 25% of the season and seem to have developed the knack of scoring crucial goals. Looking forward to the more telling tests with optimism - bring on Spurs!

Really like Barry, but he seemed to lose his man for the last two goals against.

Then there was the cast-iron handball pen and the studs into Baines.

We are getting used to playing well and tend to grumble when we win without bossing. Good place to be. COYB.

Also, the NBC online games have a replay for the goals and other interesting features during matchplay.

I love the hybrid type Player that he is becoming! Power, finesse, speed. He's almost like a player from the future (not to be too dramatic) Perfect footballing physique and if only he didn't have that horrific injury, he'd be 2 years ahead of where he is now. I don't know too many players that share his qualities. Maybe Michael Ballack??

I might be tempted to rest Barks next week and play two up front, perhaps playing Lukaku slightly deeper and Kone or Jellavic up front, a bit off the wall perhaps but I don't think that the Spurs defence has had much to do for most of this season and I would like us to have a real go at them, but not to be as open as we have been of late.

Keep it going Blues it's been very enjoyable so far.

To Brian's point re Barry being 4 short of the all-time yellow card EPL King. I personally think Barry is an incredibly intelligent player. I've never worried once about him getting 2 yellows and getting tossed.

He plays very hard, will make some hard tackles, and occasionally those result in yellow cards. He also is smart enough to take the proverbial "professional foul".

But upon receiving a yellow he seems to adjust his game just enough to not be ineffective, but also not pick up that second yellow.

He's a very cerebral player IMO and it shows in the way he approaches the game. Fast becoming (if not already has become) an invaluable asset.

Knits our midfield together with his nous and experience, and will help McCarthy develop further both by example and giving him the freedom to use his attributes fully.

Steve – Can't understand that comment; I agree that he played well but to be frank I think he was lucky to be on the pitch and I am staggered that it wasn't a straight red card. Gareth Barry, an awesome performance. By the way in my 53 years on this earth, my first time at Villa Park – unbelievable. Definitely my best away experience.

Plus also remember Tonev deliberately went through in Baines in the first half - studs straight into his knee.

The tackle, or rather late studs up challenge on Baines's knee, was also a red.

Only saw the first half, but what a game! It was our strongest line-up with balance, guile, flair and skill, yet with a soft underbelly. But that makes it all the more exciting.

Spurs match will be an epic.

As with last week - - hours and repeats of Barry's nastiness yet earlier in the day Gerrard already on a Yellow put in a dreadful tackle at Newcastle (saw it in The Dark House just before our game with Hull) - - not mentioned on TV anywhere - - but it was "lovely' to see the referee putting a loving arm around Mr. Gerrard, after all he is the England Captain.

Of course the media being dominated by Reds has nothing to do with it.

I do not condone bad, dangerous tackles, hate them but if there is a rule then surely it is for everyone.

My same thoughts about penalties.

We Blues are fair but don't forget we are fighting a horrible media bias.

I thought we were great yesterday. Loved it.

The nearer we get to playing the dark side the more the BBC or its employees will highlight our misdemeanours - I would bet that one or two of our more important players are ruled out of the derby game due to suspension.

I wonder why the views expressed in the media seem to bother people so much.

Those on MotD last night were basically barking through their outsize wazoos. I couldn't care less what Mister Ed and the rest of them think of Everton.

I am reminded of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who once responded to a critic: "I was relieved to get your letter. It is only your approval which could in any way annoy me."

Very true - but the problem is the posts prior to yours are also spot fucking on. MOTD has that fuckwit hansen belittling everything that he does not deem worthy of his beloved RS. MOTD will never show those dirty, moronic RS fucks putting the boot in - never. However, the media are sensing the imminent approach of the derby and are also aware of the fact that the blues are playing well - actually really fucking well.

I mean the footy web page, on BBC sport, may as well be called the "SAS show", it has more articles about that diving horse faced twat and his miserable as fuck side kick that you would think it was paid for by the RS. Then according to MOTD both McCarthy and Barry are leg braking, mother killing psycho's who are more than due a sending off (or two). FFS, we still have over two weeks to go, plenty of time for the national and local rags to begin their RS frenzy about horse face, Stevie G & that total self loving fuck Breeeeeeenda. Then a minor ditto about plucky plucky Everton and how they should be more than happy to take a deserved beating.

Having thought about this a little more, there is probably one area where I guess adverse media coverage really does matter.

This is when the focus on the negative with regard to Everton (e.g. McCarthy's foul yesterday) could somehow later influence a referee's decisions. On reflection, last week MotD focused on Barry's OTT tackle, whilst completely ignoring a not dissimilar foul on Jags later in the same game (the latter was however shown on the Sky match choice).

I suppose I don't want to give those gargoyles the satisfaction of knowing that their opinions could conceivably matter. But maybe you are right; we should push back on this sort of shite.

Just as an aside, I have found the continuing media desire to support MUM (Manure Manager) and the Manure myth quite vomit-inducing.

The media has an agenda which is to preserve the status quo, ie, only the richest teams are worth mentioning and have a god-given right to win everything. Everton are an anomaly they would prefer to ignore as we, unlike Southampton, vVilla, Sunderland etc... don't have an owner(s) who could pretend to challenge their rich idols.

Everton is the only (consistently) top 6-7 team who run on fumes and they (journalists) can't get their heads around this (this is recognition of OFM as well) so they prefer to ignore us or look at us like some sort of scruffy gatecrashers.

Until we are bought by a billionaire then we will be continued to be looked down upon like some smelly travellers buying a semi-detached in Aigburth.

Osman came on late in the game which had been played at such a high pace, most of the players were running on empty. He managed to scuff (yes, watch it again) a pass from Baines which fell into the path of Lukaku.

And yes, he did score a decent goal with his weaker foot, but surely this must prove to you all that:

(A) he cant play in central midfield, where Barry and Jimmy Mac are doing such a great job, so he is better further up the field, where he can't do any harm; and

(B) he is not fit enough to play from the start.

Strangely enough, all the points a lot of us have been making since the start of the season

Martinez will always try and win games, no matter who we are playing, or how big their reputation. It will sometimes backfire horribly, but it will also work for us sometimes... How long as it been since a win at Old Trafford or Anfield? I am convinced we will win at one of these clubs in the near future!

Martinez is the best thing to happen to this club since Howard Kendall... hang on tight, guys – it's going to be a fun ride.

Ossie divides opinion and its easy to see why, both his supporters and his detractors are absolute right, on one hand he is a very talented player who has scored some fantastic goals for us, on the other, he is often brushed aside with worrying ease.

To describe his pass on Saturday as a lucky scuff is just plain churlish, most observers would have seen the angle from which the ball came to him and recognise that the only way to steer into Lukakus path was to scuff it... but make no mistake, this was not luck, it was a touch of individual brilliance and thankfully has been universally acclaimed as such.

Leon isn’t athletic enough to compete every week in the prem, Martinez will know this by now – most of us have always known it, but he can and often does, offer something none of our other players have. He was quite brilliant on saturday and not just for the goals.

Young Ross is due – and will get – a break, in the coming weeks, but I hope Martinez will resist the temptation to look to Ossie as a starter. Those oft spoke about "quick feet" are far more effective against tiring players who don’t have the energy to muscle him off it.