Video Assistant Refereepublished at 26 mins

26 mins

Aston Villa 0-0 Everton

The check here is to make sure Anthony Gordon was indeed off as Tarkowski made his header. It's a quick check, though. He was past the last defender.

It remains 0-0 and that will be drinks.

Huge cheers from the away end, followed by louder ones from the home fans!

Everton have the ball in the net as Anthony Gordon pokes in James Tarkowski's header from a corner.

But the flag is up. VAR will have a look...

Image source, Getty Images

Everton win a corner.

It could have been so much more, though. There were gaps at the back for Villa and a better Dwight McNeil pass would have put in Demarai Gray.

Danny Ings prods his temple and has a few choice words for the ref as Mason Holgate goes down under pressure from him. He clearly thinks the Everton defender dropped way too easily. The ref disagrees.

Everton are making this awkward for Villa, as they did for Chelsea last weekend. They are defending deep and denying much space.

There are the first few groans of frustration from then home fans as John McGinn swings an aimless cross in that is easily cleared.

Image source, Getty Images

But here is Everton on the front foot for the first time!

Anthony Gordon goes down following a challenge from Tyrone Mings and Everton are screaming for a spot-kick. The Villa defender's arm was across Gordon. There's no penalty awarded on the pitch... or by VAR.

Frank Lampard is furious.

We're still waiting for this to explode into life. It's two teams still feeling each other out a bit at the moment, both doing enough to keep the other at bay.

Villa definitely look the more threatening, though.

Rachel: You definitely cannot separate Gerrard and Lampard on hairstyles. Both have left their barnets unchanged since the age of 10.

Man down! Villa fans scream for a penalty!

It is Matty Cash tumbling after a pull of the shirt from Vitalii Mykolenko. The Everton man definitely had some fabric in his grasp, but the on-field ref and VAR official don't see a foul. Cash did possibly go down a tad easy.

Juliette Ferrington
BBC Radio 5 live

Everton look like they've weathered the storm in the first five minutes. Villa are on it, it's a matter of time before they score

Gary Rose
BBC Sport at Villa Park

Image source, BBC Sport

Did you ever wonder when watching Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard play what sort of manager they would be - shirt and tie or tracksuit? Just me?

Well it's Gerrard in the smart attire today with Lampard in the trackies and so far it is the latter of the two who has been the more animated.

Villa have gone two up top today and it's been causing Everton some problems in these early stages.

Jordan Pickford tries to do the same as Kamara for Vitalii Mykolenko. Same result too as the ball goes out for a throw.

Dion Dublin
Former England striker on Football Focus

Today, I would rather be in Steven Gerrard's shoes. He's at home at Villa Park, it's the early kick off. Tyrone Mings is back. I think Villa have got a better chance of getting a result today.

Image source, Getty Images

Boubacar Kamara tries to get ex-Toffee Lucas Digne in down the left but asks way too much of him with a powerful pass that skips out of play.

It is yet to fully burst into life, but there are hints.

Everton try to feed the ball through for a runner, but Matty Cash slides in to intercept.

Villa respond by coming forward but Jacob Ramsey can't fashion a meaningful cross.

Everton look for a way into the game in an attacking sense, but Nathan Patterson's ball forward takes a flick off a Villa man and is cleared.

Contrasting sartorial choices from the two bosses. Lampard is tracky bottoms and a t-shirt, Gerrard is full shirt and tie. I know which I'd prefer in this heat.

They are both on their feet, barking orders.

John McGinn is doing John McGinn type things. Anthony Gordon dwells on the ball a second too long and in comes the Villa captain to win the ball with a heavy challenge. Hard but fair.

Gary Rose
BBC Sport at Villa Park

Image source, BBC Sport

A debut for Conor Coady and a debut for Everton's yellow third kit.

Straight to work for Coady with that early Villa attack. The home fans are creating a brilliant atmosphere and it certainly appears to have fired up their players.