David Moyes' return to Everton was ruined by Ollie Watkins' second-half winning goal for Aston Villa in the Premier League. Manager Moyes was taking charge of the Toffees after replacing Sean Dyche, who was sacked last week, but there was little joy for the Scot almost 12 years after leaving the club for Manchester United.

Senior figures at Villa see every window as an opportunity to augment the squad, but this month feels especially pressing

Follow live coverage as Everton face Aston Villa today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.

Adam: Positive signs against a very good Villa side. Moyes seems to have given us a bit of confidence, especially in the first half, and added some much needed width to our game. We have too many players wanting time on the ball and need to find the net of course. I'm mildly optimistic for the rest of the season.

David Moyes makes his return as Everton manager when the Toffees take on Aston Villa in the Premier League tonight.Moyes leads Everton for the first time in almost 12 years, having returned to the