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Team news
Both teams make one change from last weekend. Pau Torres replaces Tyrone Mings – who is probably out for the season – in the Villa defence. He’ll be up against Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is in for Neal Maupay.
Aston Villa (possible 4-2-3-1) Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne; Douglas Luiz, Kamara; Bailey, Diaby, McGinn; Watkins.
Substitutes: Olsen, Marschall, Diego Carlos, Chambers, Tielemans, Traore, Coutinho, Duran, Archer.
Everton (possible 4-2-3-1) Pickford; Patterson, Keane, Tarkowski, Young; Gueye, Onana; Garner, Doucoure, Iwobi; Calvert-Lewin.
Substitutes: Virginia, Mykolenko, Godfrey, Branthwaite, Onyango, Maupay, Danjuma, Cannon, Dobbin.
Referee Anthony Taylor.
Preamble
Aston Villa v Everton is the most played fixture in English football history, and Everton would very much like to keep it that way. Both teams had a false start last weekend and would literally love nothing more than to literally get their first point(s) of the season today.
While it was no great surprise that Villa were beaten by Newcastle, few people envisaged a 5-1 shellacking. Everton put a perverse new spin on an old problem by blowing up the xG computer in their 1-0 defeat at home to Fulham.
There’s nothing to worry about for Villa, who have made a number of shrewd signings and could again upset the Big Seven, or BS for short.
There’s always something to worry about at Everton, though Sean Dyche handles Kipling’s impostors better than most and feels like the perfect man for such an arduous job. While he’s in charge, Everton should keep on meeting Villa twice a season.
Kick off 2pm.
