Dyche says what Everton could have done better immediately after Aston Villa draw - 'never really got a grip'

Sean Dyche saluted Everton's mentality as they dug in to earn a draw against Aston Villa at Goodison Park.

The Toffees held high-flying Villa to a goalless stalemate and moved a point clear of the Premier League relegation zone. Everton also had the best chance of the encounter, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin being denied by visiting goalkeeper Emi Martinez on the stroke of half-time.

However, in the end, the spoils were shared with Everton managing to stifle a Villa outfit who are third in the table and the joint-second highest scorers. And although Dyche reckons the Blues could have been better in possession, he believes it was a game that Everton could well have lost in previous campaigns.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, the Goodison boss said: "It is pleasing. They are the sort of games over the past couple of seasons that Everton maybe wouldn't get something from. The mentality is there, the physicality was good again, the willingness and desire to keep a clean sheet against a team that score goals. They [Villa] could have gone joint-top today which shows the season they're having.

"With the ball, the second half more so, we never really got a grip with the game although still had moments to try to find a goal. In the first half, we have a key moment and that might change the way the game feels but we wouldn't know."