Everton’s winless run against Aston Villa in the Premier League stretched to 13, as the Toffees settled for a 0–0 draw at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

On paper it looked like a stalemate, but the match itself told a different story: 20 shots, 46 touches in Villa’s box, and over 2 expected goals: evidence of a side creating plenty, just not finishing it. Emi Martínez, inevitably, played spoiler with another standout display.

On this episode of The Blue Frontier, James, Shan, and Ryan break down the fine margins. Beto’s chaotic afternoon, Michael Keane’s unexpected threat at set pieces, and Iliman Ndiaye's awkward fit on the right all come under the microscope. There’s praise for James Garner’s resilience out of position, cautious optimism around Merlin Röhl’s full debut, and frustration at David Moyes’ conservative substitutions.

With Villa undermanned yet still unbeaten in the fixture, the crew ask: was this two points dropped, or proof that Everton are steadily climbing? And with the Merseyside Derby at Anfield looming, the conversation turns to how this deeper, still-unbalanced squad might fare against far sterner opposition.

Links:

https://linktr.ee/thebluefrontier

Deadline Day is in the books, and the full TBF trio takes stock of Everton’s summer. James, Ryan, and Shan walk through the full window position by position, testing their own preseason assessments against what actually unfolded. Merlin Röhl’s late arrival from Freiburg, the sale of Youssef Chermiti to Rangers, and the splashy additions of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish headline the discussion - but so do the gaps left untouched at right back and defensive midfield.

Along the way, the panel weigh Everton’s €120m net spend against squad balance, highlight which misses were blessings in disguise (no Soucek, no Aké), and consider whether patience with Tyler Dibling and other young signings points to a longer-term plan. Listener polls and comments from the Blue Frontier Discord bring fresh perspective on how fans grade the business and where they expect the club to finish.

It’s an audit of Everton’s window: not surprisingly, there are some different grades and viewpoints on how successful the Toffees have been.

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Everton’s August renaissance rolls on. A 2-3 win away at Wolves makes it three straight victories in all competitions. Almost unbelievably, that means as many league wins in August as the previous four years combined. Beto bullied Wolves’ back line for the opener, Iliman Ndiaye leaned into the banter with a wolf-themed celebration, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall unleashed a bullet on the volley as good as any the Toffees have seen in some time.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Defensive lapses let Hwang Hee-chan and Rodrigo Gomes drag Wolves back into it, exposing Everton’s ongoing right-back and center-back depth issues. Jack Grealish again stole the show: dictating play, winning fouls, and racking up another 2 assists, looking every bit like Everton’s new potential talisman. James Garner’s bite in midfield, Beto’s hold-up play, and the away support also earned high marks.

With Branthwaite’s return looming, Tyler Dibling pushing for minutes, and transfer rumors swirling (yes, Tomas Souček…), the squad balance debate rages on. Shan and James dissect the win, the wobble, and what Moyes’ Everton are becoming.

LINKS:

https://linktr.ee/thebluefrontier