Anwar El Ghazi's 80th-minute strike dented Everton's European hopes as Aston Villa secured a hard-fought 2-1 win at Goodison Park
Ollie Watkins' 13th Premier League goal of the season put Villa ahead after a mistake from Mason Holgate (13) but Dominic Calvert-Lewin restored parity when he met Lucas Digne's corner (19)
With the game meandering towards a draw, El Ghazi was afforded too much time to curl a shot into the far corner and clinch an eighth Premier League away win of the season for Dean Smith's side
The result means Everton remain in eighth place - nine points off the Champions League places with five games remaining - while Villa rise to ninth
This was the 205th top-flight meeting between Aston Villa and Everton, the most played fixture in England's top division - but the hosts looked unsettled by the late withdrawal of James Rodriguez in the opening stages after the Colombian sustained a calf injury in the warm-up
Villa arrived on Merseyside having opened the scoring in each of their previous three Premier League games - failing to win any of them - but the manner in which Everton fell behind on Saturday was entirely self-inflicted
Holgate looked to play out from the back, but his poor control was pounced upon by Watkins, who showed good strength and composure to steal possession and tuck his shot between the legs of Jordan Pickford
In front of the watching England manager Gareth Southgate, Watkins came close to adding to Villa's lead when he raced onto an Ezri Konsa long ball, brushing off Holgate again, but his shot from the angle was smothered by Pickford
It would prove a costly miss as moments later, Everton were level
 Calvert-Lewin escaped Ross Barkley at the far post to power his header from Digne's corner over the line despite Tyrone Mings' best efforts to keep it out
Four minutes later, Calvert-Lewin must have thought he had completed the turnaround when his diving header from Digne's superb volleyed cross was parried out by Emiliano Martinez from close range
Villa would carve out the better chances during the remainder of the opening period, however, with Pickford producing a double save to deny Bertrand Traore
 Watkins then renewed his battle with the Everton goalkeeper as he met Matty Cash's cross only to be frustrated from close range before El Ghazi clipped the crossbar on the rebound
Smith's side were not done there in a frantic half as Barkley, on his return to Goodison, collected Traore's pass and struck the base of the post with Pickford beaten
Everton had ridden their luck, but they emerged the brighter side following the restart as Alex Iwobi and Allan were wayward with right-footed efforts in quick succession before Richarlison raced onto Pickford's long ball only to drag his shot a yard wide of the post
Villa were struggling with direct balls, as Everton's route one approach very nearly proved effective once again as Mings' misjudged header landed at the feet of Richarlison once more, but his low drive was well-handled by Martinez
The visitors absorbed their opponents' best efforts, and with the game appearing to be drifting towards a stalemate during a relatively uneventful second period, Villa struck the decisive blow in the final 10 minutes
 With their first shot on target since the interval, El Ghazi collected Traore's pass and curled his effort beyond the despairing dive of Pickford
Everton boss : "The way we made a lot of mistakes at the beginning - no balance, no concentration
 It was not a good evening
 I don't know why
 They showed more desire
 It was an important game that we tried to win to stay in the fight
 We are still in the fight but it is more and more difficult
"It is difficult to say why [we struggle at home]
 It is the same team who beat Arsenal seven days ago
 We of course could do better at home for sure
 It is unbelievable - the run we had away and the run we had at home
"We were not good
 We didn't have good balance with the ball and difficulties
 The season is not finished yet
 There are five games and we have to keep fighting
 They are important games to fight and to try and reach our target
"Aston Villa boss : "It was a good win
 It was a really good game of football and both teams tried to win
 I think we deserved it on the balance of chances
 Jordan Pickford was in really good form and denied Ollie Watkins time and time again
"It's easy for people to say we haven't got anything to play for but we want to finish as high as we can
 We want to regain that momentum and consistency we had earlier in the season
"I've said it before but for me Ollie Watkins is one of the best pressing forwards in the Premier League
 I had no doubts he could come and do this in the Premier League
"He is better than he was as I had him at Brentford
 He would go home and beat himself up but he gets over that a lot more now and learns
 He is a really humble guy and is getting his rewards now
"It took a while for Watkins to rediscover his early-season form after Jack Grealish sustained his leg injury in February, but the Villa striker could have finished with another hat-trick against Merseyside opponents after his treble in October against Liverpool
Mason Holgate couldn't cope with his movement in an opening period in which his error led to Watkins' clinical opener
 It was one of four attempts he had over the course of an energetic evening
Watkins is a class act, improvising well for another chance at the far post, and with the watching Southgate known for picking players on form, Watkins is well placed to benefit from the extended 26-man squad for the Euros
"It's been a long time coming," Watkins told  "We haven't been playing too well of late, so it was nice to get three points away from home
"I think I could have done better with a few chances
 I should be leaving the pitch with two or three goals, but the most important thing is we got the three points
"I think any striker will say they can do a little better with the chances I had
 I just have to keep working on it
 No matter who's watching, you just have to work hard and do your best
"On his England hopes, Watkins added: "Any international game is magical
 I'm just focusing on my club form now, trying to push us into the European spots
 I think it's a possibility
 Games are coming thick and fast now
 If we get a couple of wins it puts us right back up there
"Everton travel to face West Ham on Sunday, live on ; coverage starts on  and  at 4pm with kick-off at 4
30pm
Aston Villa are at home to Manchester United on the same day, live on ; kick-off 2
05pm
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