Duncan Ferguson's latest tenure as caretaker boss got off to a poor start as Everton slipped to another Premier League defeat.
The Blues did not get the lift they hoped they might after sacking Rafael Benitez earlier this week in the wake of a chastening defeat at the hands of strugglers Norwich City.
Instead, they fell to another defeat, this time at the hands of a Villa side performing well under new manager Steven Gerrard.
The Midlands side won 1-0, with the only goal of the game coming shortly before half-time when Emi Buendia found the far post with a looping header from a corner.
It was Lucas Digne 's delivery which found the little Argentine's head, and the Frenchman was in the thick of the action on his first return to Goodison Park since leaving earlier this month.
The game itself was marred by another incident involving the full-back, as an Everton fan was arrested after Digne and Matty Cash were hit by an "object" thrown from the stands as they celebrated the goal.
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And there was more ill feeling after the end of the match, as a section of supporters staged a protest in the Gwladys Street and Park End stands with chants of "sack the board" and "we want our club back".
Here's how some of the national media reacted to what happened at Goodison on Saturday:
"Everton unrest draped all over dismal afternoon in loss to Aston Villa"
BBC Sport 's chief football writer Phil McNulty wrote:
The unrest that has been the simmering backdrop to Everton's decline, with only one win in their last 14 league games, was draped all over a dismal afternoon for the home support.
The sacking of the deeply unpopular Rafael Benitez was welcomed by supporters who never accepted the former Liverpool manager but it has not proved to be any sort of shield against the questions now being asked of those running the club.
It was a day of disappointment all round for Everton, with disgraceful scenes following Emiliano Buendia's winner as Villa's players were struck by objects thrown from the crowd.
There is no doubting the mood of mutiny among Everton supporters, who clearly want change far beyond the departure of Benitez.
Everton not only need yet another manager after Benitez became [Farhad] Moshiri's fifth sacking, the club is also currently conducting a strategic review following the departure of director of football Marcel Brands.
"Steven Gerrard has last laugh as Aston Villa win at Everton after Lucas Digne struck by bottle"
Chris Bascombe of The Telegraph wrote:
Those of gallows humour will appreciate the irony of Aston Villa’s Steven Gerrard succeeding where Rafael Benitez too often failed.
As if the season could not get any worse for Everton, they have now had to tolerate a jubilant Gerrard, Gary McAllister and Phillipe Coutinho celebrating on their patch, raising further doubts as to the Merseysiders’ Premier League security.
For Gerrard, it was the sweetest of victories, the jibes aimed at him - some of them especially tasteless - were drowned out by the fury which was eventually directed at the Goodison hierarchy.
Evertonians would have dreamed of seeing a header at the Gwladys Street End prove the winning goal as Duncan Ferguson took temporary charge.
Sadly for them, it was provided by Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendia, the playmaker many presumed would make way for Philippe Coutinho but is instead thriving alongside him.
"Steven Gerrard piles more misery on Everton as Duncan Ferguson effect comes up short"
Paul Joyce of The Times wrote:
Duncan Ferguson dropped to his haunches, buried his head in his hands and could no longer bear to look. Unlike his previous spell in caretaker charge of Everton, the ball boys he once twirled in the air in celebration probably thought about running for cover.
A tantalising cross from substitute Anthony Gordon had just been sliced over the Aston Villa crossbar by the stretching Dominic Calvert-Lewin from six yards and with that gaping, 66th-minute chance, went hopes of a result to stem the malaise at Goodison Park.
Everton would receive no meaningful bounce from Ferguson’s presence — unlike two years ago — and, though they kept pushing to the end, the outcome will do nothing for his hopes of keeping the job for longer than a couple of games.
The Goodison Park crowd recognised his efforts and then, during a post-match sit-in, turned their fury on the club’s hierarchy with persistent chants of “sack the board” and an assortment of banners which made plain their disillusionment.
“We want our club back,” they sang, while a plane had earlier circled overhead calling for chairman Bill Kenwright to stand down. Owner Farhad Moshiri, whose judgment over the past six years has been flawed, escaped direct abuse.
"Everton edge ever closer to the Premier League relegation zone as Emi Buendia scores the only goal to seal win for Aston Villa – ensuring Steven Gerrard gets the last laugh against his old rivals"
The Mail on Sunday 's Oliver Holt wrote:
A sense of liberation spread around Goodison Park before kick-off. It did not last for long.
If there was lingering relief that the club had been rid of the rule of Rafa Benitez, it was soon replaced by the tyranny of fear.
Everton's defeat to Aston Villa left them perched precariously above the drop zone. To adapt the rallying cry of their new caretaker manager, Duncan Ferguson, if they did not already know they were in a relegation fight, they do now.
Agent Rafa may be gone but another of Liverpool's favourite sons came back to haunt them instead.
If Everton are a club in freefall, Steven Gerrard is already making his mark on Villa and driving them upwards. The scoreline was close but Villa were the better side by a distance.
"Duncan Ferguson has no problem with Everton fans’ protest after defeat to Aston Villa"
PA reporter Carl Markham wrote for The Independent :
Everton caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson empathised with fans who protested after their 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa after admitting he was “on the floor” after the result.
A 10th defeat in 14 league matches – courtesy of Emiliano Buendia’s header in first-half added time – means their 19 points from their first 20 games is their lowest total at this stage since 1997-98.
The goal celebrations saw Villa players Matty Cash and recently-departed Everton defender Lucas Digne struck by a bottle thrown from the crowd, with the Toffees announcing after the game that one person has been arrested for throwing a missile onto the pitch, but the protests after the match were more peaceful.
Ferguson has stepped into the void for a second time as the club look for their seventh permanent manager in six years following Rafael Benitez’s sacking last weekend but with their current form leaving them just five points above the relegation zone, supporters have had enough.
