Everton captain Phil Jagielka admits that the Toffees were given 'a reality check' by Aston Villa on Saturday.

Tim Sherwood's relegation-threatened side ended the Toffees' six-game unbeaten run with a 3-2 win at Villa Park suggesting to Jagielka that perhaps they had gotten too far ahead of themselves.

Jagielka said: "It's a reality check for us. We loved the little run we had been on but it probably shows us that we are not over some of the aspects that put us in this position.

"We will have a look at this game video analysis-wise next week, put it to bed and look forward to another tough game against Sunderland who will obviously be fighting for their lives. We have got to make sure we put in a better performance next Saturday."

The defeat left Everton sitting 11th on the table on 44 points with three fixtures remaining.