Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior was called into action early on, with his flying save diverting Tyrhys Dolan’s teasing cross out of harm’s way.
Espanyol certainly made all of the initial running with Roberto Fernandez particularly prominent, though a mixture of poor finishing and inaccurate passing kept the scores level. The visitors resorted to long balls up to Tajon Buchanan and Tani Oluwaseyi, but neither were able to keep control, inviting further pressure on their defenders.
The visitors’ first chance of note saw a deflected cross almost catch Espanyol stopper Marko Dmitrovic out, but his lightning-fast reflexes helped him to claw the ball to safety.
As the half developed, both sides cancelled each other out for large periods, although Dolan still looked dangerous in possession, and Gerard Moreno was trying his level best to silence those home fans who used to sing his name.
As half-time approached, he did exactly that, taking a swipe at the ball from outside the box that deceived Dmitrović and found the corner of the net.
Pere Milla wasn’t alive to the possibilities as Dolan produced another pinpoint cross, with Espanyol taking the initiative straight after the break. However, Buchanan’s swift break down their left side resulted in the hosts being exposed, and his cross was swept home by Alberto Moleiro to give the Yellow Submarine some breathing space leading into the hour mark.
A snapshot from Santi Comesana, not too dissimilar to Moreno’s finish, almost gave Villarreal a third as the visitors continued to press home their advantage, and with Espanyol getting increasingly desperate in the latter stages, space began to open up right across the pitch. Dolan continued to worry the visiting defence, but with his colleagues rarely on the same wavelength, half-chances came and went for the hosts.
The result means that Espanyol have now won just four of their 24 home LaLiga matches against Villarreal (D12, L8), with the Yellow Submarine winning each of the last six league H2Hs.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Tyrhys Dolan (Espanyol)