Aston Villa host winless Everton at Villa Park in a Premier League clash.
Victory could see Villa go third if Brighton and Brentford fail to win in their mid-afternoon kick-offs, whilst Everton can move off the foot of the table with a win.
Team News
Ollie Watkins is set to start for Villa after he withdrew from international duty for England, due to an unspecified injury.
Matty Cash (hamstring), Diego Carlos (unspecified), Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings (both knee) remain sidelined.
Jaden Philogene-Bidace (knock) and Ezri Konsa (ankle) are available, but Leon Bailey (hamstring) isn’t expected to feature.
Everton will be without new loan signing, Armando Broja due to a foot injury.
Seamus Coleman (ankle) is a doubt but Nathan Patterson (hamstring), Jarrad Branthwaite (groin) and Youssef Chermiti (foot) remain absent.
Orel Mangala could be in contention for his Toffees debut.
When is Kick-Off?
Villa host Everton at Villa Park on Saturday 14 September at 5:30pm BST, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Villa are unbeaten in their last ten league meetings against Everton (W7, D3).
- Everton have won one of their last seven league visits to Villa (W1, D1, L5).
- Villa are looking to keep four consecutive clean sheets against Everton for the first time since a five-match run from August 1998 to November 2000.
- Villa’s Amadou Onana has scored with both of his two shots on target.
- Everton are looking to avoid suffering four consecutive league defeats for the first time since February – March 2022.
Prediction
With two wins from three games after a solid clinical win at Leicester despite Watkins again struggling to convert his chances, Villa should feel confident coming into this game because their press certainly will cause Everton issues.
Speaking of Sean Dyche’s Toffees, they simply blew a potential home win over Bournemouth through a mix of wasteful finishing and a late defensive switch-off, despite leading 2-0 in the closing minutes yet somehow lost 3-2 at full-time.
Everton therefore have to just regroup and try to be more composed on the attack but if Villa can play like they did at Leicester, I can see a home win coming.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Everton