Aston Villa will be looking to record back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time this season when they entertain Everton at Villa Park on Saturday evening.
Unai Emery’s side kicked off their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win away at West Ham before falling to a 2-0 defeat at home to Arsenal.
However, the Villians quickly got back on the winning trail with a 2-1 win over Leicester, justifying my faith in the visitors to emerge from the King Power victorious.
Villa will now aim to put another three points on the board and heap more misery on Everton in the process.
The Toffees are propping up the early top-flight table following a run of three straight losses, shipping 10 goals along the way.
Ahead of the recent international break, Sean Dyche’s side threw away a 2-0 lead in the dying embers of the game to lose 3-2 to Bournemouth, on an afternoon where my player-based bet banked profit.
How the bookies view it: Villa victory on the cards
Aston Villa are short-priced 1/2 favourites on UniBet to claim what would be their first home win of the season.
Everton have come away empty-handed from each of their three Premier League games this season so far and the bookmakers' odds suggest that trend will continue, with an way win trading at 11/2 (William Hill) while a point apiece at Villa Park has been priced up at 17/5 (William Hill)
Head to head: History favours the hosts
Aston Villa have triumphed in each of their last three Premier League home games with Everton, with last season’s corresponding fixture ending 4-0.
However, it’s worth pointing out that Everton did claim a 2-1 win at this venue in the fourth round of the EFL cup last term.
Players to watch: Ollie out to open his account
Ollie Watkins has failed to score in each of Aston Villa’s three Premier League games this season so far but he could smell blood against Everton's brittle backline. The England international is 4/5 on William Hill for a goal or an assist on Saturday evening.
Tim Iroegbunam will return to familiar territory this weekend following his move to Everton from Aston Villa over the summer. Having been booked twice in four appearances for the Toffees this season already, the tough-tackling midfielder is as short as 15/8 (bet 365) to pick up a card at Villa Park.
Predicted line-ups
Boubacar Kamara, Leon Bailey and Tyrone Mings remain on the treatment table for Aston Villa, while Matty Cash is not expected to be back until the end of the month at the earliest.
Jarrad Branthwaite is closing on a return for Everton but he was unlikely to be fit for Saturday’s visit to Villa Park, while Seamus Coleman is doubtful after sustaining an injury on international duty with the Republic of Ireland.
Aston Villa: Martinez; Nedeljkovic, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Bailey, Tielemans, Onana, McGinn; Rogers; Watkins
Everton: Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Harrison, Gueye, Doucoure, Iroegbunam, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin
Anything else catch the eye?
Aston Villa are worthy favourites on Saturday evening but to bolster the odds up to 4/5 (Bet 365) I’ll also go with Everton’s Idrissa Gueye to commit at least one foul.
The Senegalese midfield warrior has committed five fouls across his opening three Premier League appearances of the season, falling foul of the referee twice in his last two outings.
In fact, this Bet Builder would have generated profit from each of the Toffees’ three top-flight tussles this term to date, suggesting there is plenty of score for a repeat on Saturday evening.
This English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Everton will be played on Sep 14, 2024 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Aston Villa vs Everton prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
