Eibar welcomed Villarreal to the Ipurua with both sides looking to halve winless runs, but it was the Yellow Submarine who came away with the points via a 2-1 victory.
Goals from Adrian Lopez and Roberto Soldado were enough for the away side as they fought from behind after Ander Capa had put the Armeros into the lead.
Capa broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute after Villarreal could not clear the ball following a Jota cross. The ball was parried away by Alphonse Areola in the away net but it fell to Capa who blasted through a sea of defenders to find the back of the net.
Less than 15 minutes later, Villarreal had restored parity. A sumptuous ball by Denis Suarez found Soldado, whose shot was saved by Asier Riesgo. However, Adrian was on hand to tap home.
Five minutes into the second half and the Yellow Submarine had the lead.
Controversy over the goal ensued as Suarez tried to play Soldado again with the former Spanish international standing in an offside position. The ball took two deflections off Eibar defenders, overruling the linesman’s flag and Soldado took advantage to put his side in the lead.
Villarreal did their best to extend their lead but could not breach Riesgo’s goal again as they took the three points back to Valenca.
A job well done
It may not have been pretty for Villarreal and they played beneath themselves, but it is another three points on the road to Champions League qualification.
The Yellow Submarine were, for the most part, safe at the back. A few nervy moments, one of which resulted in Eibar’s goal, but overall Marcelino can be happy with his defenders.
On the back of defence, Villarreal took the points but Marcelino will be unhappy with how the rest of his side looked, to a point.
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Villarreal’s usual fluent attack was disjointed, they looked a side under pressure to break their four-match winless streak and one that seemed more tolled than relaxed after the international break.
Denis Suarez sparkled, as he has all season, but the rest fell flat.
What Marcelino and his men can take away from this result is another win and another three points.
At this time of the season, style takes no precedence over substance as the clock counts down to the end of the year. Fourth place is the goal and the only way to safely assure that is to keep winning, however necessary.
Two transfers stand out, for different reasons
Suarez was the best on ground for Villarreal against Eibar. His movement, his passing and his intelligence were on display as he improved on what has already been his best season yet.
Samu Castillejo may lay claim to worst on ground as his lack of final product, physicality or anything remotely positive highlight another poor performance in a season riddled with them.
One of these men will surely not be calling El Madrigal home next season when Barcelona invoke their well-publicised buy-back clause on Suarez.
Castillejo may yet get another year at Villarreal but after how impotent he has been over 2015-16, he will not be trusted as first choice.
Both players arrived at the beginning of the season as men that could take Villarreal to the next level. This match showed how much one has succeeded while the other has failed.
Marin looks a starter, not a rotation player
Being included in the first team squad for the first time in his career after making the step up from the B team, Adrian Marin could now lay claim to being first choice left-back.
The 19-year-old has been rotated with Jaume Costa, before his injury, as well as Antonio Rukavina, but he has proved yet again that he should be one of the first names on the team sheet.
Being so young may be an asterix next to his name at this point but it only helps to show how high the ceiling is for the young wing-back.
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