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Match preview - Everton vs. Aston Villa - Injuries could hold the key
If ever there was an advertisement for the Premier League, this fixture last season would be it - a five goal thriller which saw Everton lose 3-2 with the final kick of the game. Everton had already equalised in injury-time with Joleon Lescott scoring his second of the game but were caught napping by a sprightly Ashley Young in the dying seconds. This didn’t stop Everton finishing a place above the team in claret and blue last season, beating Villa to the finishing line by a solitary point. The fifth and sixth placed teams faced each other three times in all, each winning one and sharing the spoils at Villa Park in another high scoring game, this time ending 3-3. The third encounter was in the FA Cup where Everton won to reach the quarter finals with a convincing 3-1 victory.
All this should indicate another goal-fest on Saturday afternoon. However, Martin O’Neill has made some vital defensive signings over the summer and now boasts the best defence in the Premier League, only conceding eight goals in nine matches. In contrast to this, Everton have struggled for consistency since the start of the season but the form of Louis Saha has been a vital boost - the striker scoring six goals in seven Premier League starts this season.
Everton - Frustratingly, David Moyes has had to endure both a fixture pile-up (playing three times in the last six days) and the loss of several key players through injury. This has resulted in a poor start with Everton slipping into the bottom half of the table again last weekend, without a win in three matches. The Everton manager currently has a whole team of injured players, with Phil Jagielka, James Vaughan, Victor Anichebe, Mikel Arteta, Steven Pienaar and captain Phil Neville all out with knee injuries. The Everton physio will certainly be the busiest in the league this week with further injuries to Leighton Baines (calf), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (groin), Joseph Yobo (head) and Leon Osman (ankle).
24 Howard
2 Hibbert - 5 Heitinga - 15 Distin - 23 Neill
19 Gosling - 26 Rodwell - 25 Fellaini - 17 Cahill
11 Jo - 8 Saha
Aston Villa - The Villans on the other hand, dumped out of Europe early, have been able to concentrate exclusively on the Premier League and have been consistent - currently sitting in 7th. Gabriel Agbonlahor’s form has been a major factor in this, scoring five in nine games so far. Villa, in comparison to Everton, are completely injury-free with virtually a full quotient of players for manager Martin O’Neill to choose from. Stewart Downing looks set to be out with a foot injury until December and Curtis Davies is sidelined until the new year with a shoulder injury. O’Neill should start with the same XI he chose for the Wolves match.
1 Friedel
24 Cuellar - 5 Dunne - 29 Collins - 25 Warnock
8 Milner - 4 Sidwell - 19 Petrov - 7 Young
10 Carew - 11 Agbonlahor
The visitors haven’t seemed to miss Gareth Barry so far this season with Stiliyan Petrov and Steve Sidwell stepping in flawlessly so far. Their grit, determination and excellent closing down of opponents should enable them to control this match from midfield for the full 90 minutes. Add to this the power and aerial ability of Carew and the blistering pace of Agbonlahor, Villa should unlock the Everton defence with ease. Everton’s new boys Heitinga and Sylvain Distin may not be able to handle the Villa attack having not played much football this season, let alone together.
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Everton vs. Aston Villa
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