Villa are now set for a vital away clash at Goodison Park. The objective? Win at all costs.
You can find our Match Preview below the confirmed Team News, as well as 30 Key Facts & Stats ahead of our crucial clash against Everton here.
Without further ado, here is the confirmed Aston Villa starting XI.
TEAM NEWS
Reina (Goalkeeper)
Defence:
Elmohamady
Konsa
Mings
Targett
Midfield:
McGinn
Luiz
Hourihane
Trezeguet
Grealish (Captain)
Striker:
Samatta
On the bench for Villa:
Nyland, Guilbert, Hayden, Nakamba, Lansbury, Jota, El Ghazi, Vassilev, Davis.
MATCH PREVIEW
After a concerning lack of momentum after the resumption of the Premier League following Covid-19, Villa finally secured a victory, beating Crystal Palace 2-0 last time out.
With Bournemouth losing to Manchester City 2-1 (Wednesday 15th July) and our nearest relegation rivals West Ham & Watford facing off Friday night (17th July), Villa simply cannot afford anything less than 3 points.
Given that a four point gap remains to safety, not accounting for our dismal goal difference, we certainly cannot rely upon the results of other teams either.
Everton are undeniably in classic ‘on the beach’ territory after a clutch of poor results.
However, they sit in 11th place and after a public barracking by Ancelotti and Seamus Coleman after a hammering againt Wolves , we would be foolish to think that they will simply roll over again.
Whilst motivation might be sorely lacking due to their safety, we could really use without Everton looking for a ‘reaction’ performance. Ancelotti has also rotated and opted to include fringe players in their recent games, whether this continues given a downturn in results is unclear.
Villa go into the game buoyed by a first win since beating Watford in January. After a string of lacklustre showings after the restart, defeats to Liverpool (2-0) and Manchester United (0-3) left us teetering. More concerning was the absence of any visible fight amongst our ranks.
That changed against Palace. Whilst we were fortunate to see an early goal from the visitors chalked off by VAR, Villa competed well with Roy Hodgson’s side and crucially took their chances. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was determined and it produced a timely result.
It will be this kind of discipline and determination required if we are to take the points at Goodison Park this evening.
If we are to cling onto our aspirations to remain in the top flight, nothing less than a win will do. A draw isn’t enough. Suffer a defeat the conversation and outlook at full-time will be ominous indeed.
Read: 30 Facts & Stats Every Villa Fan Should Know Before Everton
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