We begin the Premier League match week 3 tonight with Aston Villa taking on Everton at the Villa Park. Everton head into the fixture unbeaten this season, after a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace and a 1-0 win over Watford. Aston Villa on the other hand are yet to record a single point this season. They lost to Tottenham Hotspurs on the opening day despite holding the lead for over an hour of football. A 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth in their first home game of the season followed and has left them in desperate need of a point early into the season.
This fixture used to be a mid-table clash back in the day. Times and fortunes have however changed, with Everton seeking a European spot and Villa looking to gain a foothold in the league and avoid relegation.
A clean sheet tonight could mark the first time in Everton’s history that they start a league season with three consecutive clean sheets. Villa have however scored in their first two games of the season and so keeping a clean sheet is no easy task for Everton tonight.
Aston Villa have record eighteen victories against the toffees whilst Everton have thirteen victories against the West Midlands side. The fixture has ended in a draw seventeen times.
TEAM NEWS
For Aston Villa, Kourtney Hause is available for selection, while James Chester remains sidelined with a hamstring issue.
Everton will also have their full back, Lucas Digne available for selection after recovering from the thigh strain he picked up in their win over Watford. Morgan Schneiderlin returns from suspension and Leighton Baines is also available for selection. New signing Fabian Delph is still out with a thigh strain.
Prediction
Everton haven’t been convincing enough despite picking up four points from the possible six. They have however shown promising signs defensively with Pickford and Micheal Keane starting the season well. Aston Villa on the other hand haven’t been that bad and will need Jack Grealish to step up if they are to salvage something from this game.
I expect a scoring draw, maybe a 1-1 or 2-2. However, should villa leave too many spaces in their search of their first points, then expect Everton to exploit it and head back to Merseyside with the win.