Amadou Onana faces former club as Villa take on Everton.
Aston Villa vs
Everton
As Aston Villa aim for consecutive wins to break into the top four, struggling Everton visit Villa Park hoping to overturn their fortunes and climb off the bottom in a clash that promises to be crucial for both sides.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over Leicester City moved the club into 7th place with 6 points (2W, 0D, 1L) just before the international break. Amadou Onana's second goal for Villa in the 28th minute put Unai Emery’s side in the lead, and Jhon Durán doubled the advantage in the 63rd minute. Facundo Buonanotte’s 73rd-minute goal served as mere consolation for Leicester.
Villa, with a recent form of [WLW], will aim for back-to-back victories for the first time this season as they face Everton on home turf. They have not lost to Everton since their return to the topflight in 2019, boasting a record of 7 wins, 3 draws, and 0 losses in that run, during which they kept seven shutouts and conceded only three goals.
With 6th-placed Brentford facing Manchester City and 4th-placed Arsenal taking on Spurs in a high-profile London derby this weekend, a win on Saturday could propel Villa into the top four and also secure their first home win this season. Amadou Onana will square off against his former club for the first time since leaving Everton, with Unai Emery expected to use a 4—4—1—1 formation featuring Ollie Watkins in attack.
There are concerns for Villa as Ezri Konsa, who was forced off during England’s 2-0 win over Finland, remains doubtful for the clash. Unai Emery’s side will also be without Tyrone Mings, Boubacar Kamara, and Matty Cash.
Everton
Everton find themselves at the bottom of the table after enduring three consecutive defeats, with the latest being a dramatic 3-2 loss to Bournemouth. This defeat was especially disheartening as Everton squandered a two-goal lead by conceding three times in the final minutes.
Sean Dyche, currently under pressure, expressed his frustration over the team's lapse in concentration during the match. As Everton head to Villa Park, Dyche will be eager to bounce back and move his team off the foot of the table, despite their poor recent away form.
Everton have struggled in their last five Premier League away encounters with Villa, drawing only once and losing the other four. This is a sharp decline from their previous successes at Villa Park, where they had won three out of four matches.
Additionally, Everton have historically found it challenging to perform after international breaks, having lost eight out of their last ten such games. For the upcoming clash against Villa, Dyche is likely to field a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin leading the attack.
