Date: Saturday, October 26 Venue: Villa Park Kick-Off: 15:00 Christian Benteke could return this weekend to rescue Aston Villa's stuttering start to the season.
Team News
Aston Villa could welcome Christian Benteke back into their starting lineup against Everton on Saturday after the striker made his return from injury as a substitute against Spurs last weekend. Centre-back Ciaran Clark is also available after missing that match through illness. Everton look like being without John Heitinga after the defender sustained soft tissue damage in training. Steven Pienaar could make his return however after coming off the bench to score against Hull on his comeback from injury last weekend. (BBC)
Key Stats
This is the most-played fixture in the English top flight. Aston Villa have 72 wins to Everton's 71 from the previous 196 league meetings. Villa have only won 10 of their 42 league matches at home since the start of 2011-12, averaging a point per game in that time (W10, D12, L20). Everton beat Villa for the first time in 13 league matches in last season's corresponding fixture at Villa Park, in a 3-1 win. Seven of the last nine league meetings between these two sides have been drawn.
Likely Line-Ups
Aston Villa Guzan, Bacuna, Vlaar, Clark, Luna, El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor Everton Howard, Coleman, Distin, Jagielka, Baines, McCarthy, Barry, Mirallas, Barkley, Pienaar, Lukaku
Match Preview
On the weekend that the Football Association rings in its 150th birthday, how fitting is it that the most-played fixture in the English top flight takes place? Between them, Aston Villa and Everton have clocked up an amazing 196 league meetings, and Everton have a chance to make it 72 wins apiece on Saturday. Sentimentality aside, this fixture of course has greater importance on the pitch rather than the celebrations taking place off it, with both sides looking to return to winning ways. Everton bounced back from their defeat to Manchester City by seeing off Hull last weekend and will be looking to continue their assault on the European places while Villa just need a win. Paul Lambert's side are without victory for the month of October having drawn and then lost their last two games, and with three points separating them from the drop zone, will know the pressure is on. The Villans should be buoyed by the probable return of Christian Benteke, whom they have missed greatly this past month, but even that may not be enough against a resurgent Toffees side. Prediction: 1-2
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
