Everton's trip to Aston Villa ended in a highly frustrating 1-0 defeat.

Just as had happened at Blackburn on the opening day, the Toffees conceded early and then dominated the game without finding an equaliser.

Luke Young stole in to put the home side ahead after just nine minutes and despite having more possession Steven Pienaar's first half strike that hit the bar was as close as Everton came to restoring parity.

Leighton Baines had already surged down the left hand side and hit the byline inside six minutes but Villa took the lead in one of their rare first half attacks.

In the ninth minute Marouane Fellaini missed a clearance and Ashley Young fed namesdake Luke who finished superbly with his left foot.

From that point on it was one-way traffic and straight away Jermaine Beckford's burst was halted illegally by Richard Dunne only for Arteta's free kick to be easily fielded by Brad Friedel.

The Blues threatened again down the left after 18 minutes when Pienaar's brilliant curling effort hit the bar and Beckford fired the eventual rebound a mile over the bar.

Arteta and Fellaini both had efforts on goal as Everton's sustained period of pressure was alleviated only by Marc Albrighton's deflected shot before half time.

Carew glanced wide early in the second period then Ashley Young fired wide after a pacy break from the half way line.

Ten minutes into the second half Louis Saha was on for Beckford and the Frenchman had a header and a blocked shot within a couple of minutes of coming on.

Then Tim Howard kept his side in it with a superb double save from Carew and then Ashley Young.

His American counterpart Friedel made equally as good a save at the other end and James Collins almost inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net.

Just after the hour Rodwell glanced another Arteta cross wide but then the England hopeful picked up a knock and was replaced by Seamus Coleman.

Howard saved again from Young in the 75th minute and Albrighton sliced the rebound over when it was easier to score.

The game was becoming a real end-to-end affair and Coleman beat three players on the way to the byline before his cut-back was scrambled away.

There was a succession of Everton corners in the last ten minutes, with Jagielka's header over the closest the Toffees came to an equaliser before Saha was brilliantly denied - twice - by Friedel in added time.