Everton-Aston Villa is a match of the twenty-first day of the Premier League and is played on Sunday at 3 p.m.: TV, probable formations, predictions.
Fifteen days later Everton returns to play a league match: between the defeat with Wolves, their third in a row, and the Goodison Park match with Aston Villa, the Toffees have played only one match, the FA Cup third-round tie with Crystal Palace, which ended 0-0. A replay of the challenge is scheduled for next week.
If it were not for the 10-point penalty, the Liverpool club would not be doing badly and would be +11 over third-last. The penalty, however, complicates everything: pending whether it will be confirmed or not (the club has appealed), Sean Dyche’s team must do everything possible to move away from the relegation zone, which has become too close after Luton’s recent positive results, down by just a pasting. The Toffees must regain the spirit of early December, when against all odds they reacted to the news of the penalty by bringing home five wins in six games. Of the three defeats they suffered between Christmas and New Year’s Day, however, the most inexplicable one remains the one with Wolverhampton: at Molineux, Everton took one of the heaviest beatings (3-0) of its season.
Emery sets no limits
Dyche on this weekend will have to be good at taking countermeasures to Unai Emery’s team, which has been studying from the bigs for several months now.
Aston Villa after 20 days is second in the standings, just three points behind the top of the class, Liverpool. It’s been a fantastic season so far for the Villans, who also passed the Conference League round without any problems, finishing ahead of everyone. The men led by the Basque coach also remain in the running in the FA Cup: on their debut they beat Middlesbrough 1-0 thanks to a goal by Cash. In the Premier League, Aston Villa had bid farewell with a victory, which came in a rattling way against Burnley (3-2). Lots of absences for Emery in the Goodison Park trip: Traoré is committed to the African Cup of Nations, but Buendia, Digne, Pau Torres, Mings and Tielemans will also be missing from the roll call.
The Prediction
Everton, as usual, will struggle but it may not be enough against an Aston Villa side that wants to avenge last September’s League Cup elimination (the Toffees prevailed 2-1 against a lineup full of reserves). Guests slightly favored in a match in which both sides will score.
Everton-Aston Villa
likely lineups.
EVERTON (4-5-1): Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Doucouré, Onana, Garner, Danjuma; Calvert-Lewin.
ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Diego Carlos, Moreno; McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Kamara, Bailey; Diaby, Watkins.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-2
