 Hello, welcome to Toffy TV. This is the match preview Everton versus Aston Villa. Suddenly Aston Villa has become a very, very good side sitting second in the Premier League. Also, they're our bulky team since they've come up. This one, when you've been not one for a few games and you're looking for that, be a good factor at the beginning of a new year. This is not the one you'd necessarily pick, Baz. No, they had a fantastic 2023. From where they started, they were the best team in 2023. They got 85 points in that calendar year, only city got more, but obviously city was starting from a much higher base, so they were fantastic in 2023. We've not beat them since they come back up. I think there's nine games now and they've won seven of them. This is a tough game. It has turned into a bogie side for us. I think the most played fixture, isn't it? But that being said, teams are there to be beaten and they're not as good away. They're still decent, don't get me wrong, but they're much better at that. Villa Park at the minute is playing win for Aston Villa, isn't it? They've won about 16 on the run or something like that, so we have got a better opportunity because they tackled Aston Park, but in order to win the game, we're going to have to be brilliant and do most things right, and they're going to maybe have to be not fully on it for us to get a result. They won narrowly at middles, but they didn't even make up last couple of minutes and stuff. They've had other away games where they've not quite performed to their levels, but it's a tough game. The home form is the top of the league for home form. Only Cheffield United recently broke it, didn't it? And then they went on and beat Bainley, didn't they? But their away form is the seventh, but they've picked up two less points away from home than we have. So their away form is still good. But I just think it's a little bit closer, isn't it? The game is a little bit more hard, but recently they went to Brentford and they turned around, they went to Bournemouth, they drew 2-2 after being behind. They're a lot more dogged away from home, and obviously, as you mentioned there, in the FA Cup getting a late 1-0 win, which was the first time, by the way, that they'd gone past the third round since 2016 in the FA Cup, which is an incredible stat. But they've been in a little sticky period lately, which they had that big opportunity, you know, win Friday night at Villa Park out top, which the... I forgot about that, I just, till you said, I forgot about that, they got a late equaliser, didn't they? Against Cheffield United. Yeah. But away, they would tune it up at Old Trafford as well, and lost of course. So they did have a sticky little period over Christmas, which even though they are second in the table, they could easily be top if they just got four-pointing though, you know, from the Cheffield United game and the Man United game. But they've been absolutely incredible. I do think what happened, the home form was so good, and the away form was left, but I just think that away form has started to take away the Man United game, started taining that away form just slightly as well. So they're not as free-flowing, they're not, you know, the grind results out away from home. But what a transformation in terms of like, you know, when Emery came in, it was around, you know, when the World Cup was on in 2022. I don't think there was much for teams at the time, but he's massively transformed them, because they were proactive when they were there. We were reactive, which was probably more to do with our situation, with what was going on off the pitch more than anything. Financially, what we could offer people, what we could bring in new sirens. But they were very proactive. They knew what they wanted to do. They knew where they wanted. They still got, you know, they have an owner with money. The FFP might be a little bit closer now, but at the time probably felt like they had a lot more wiggle room to bring in players and certainly stand in the summer, but he's done an incredible job as an Emery. He asked, listening, he's done really well since they came back up. They were eight minutes from being relegated in the first season, he remember. It was Jack Reelish, he realised that Westamon, if the goal line technology had been in, maybe they would have gone down that year, because Chef was united at the goal. And then he got Steven Gerrard in, he didn't know where, but yet since Emery coming, he has done incredibly well. They got him in before the World Cup, didn't need the last few games. I think they beat Manchester United in his first game, at Dilla Park, but even when Villa come to Goddus in February of last year, if Everton had won, I think there would have been three points between the two teams, and they come and beat us 2-0, didn't they? And they didn't seem to look back, they've been brilliant, like I've just said, last year, 2023, they got 85 points in that calendar year, incredible. What they've got, they did have. You're looking at Everton around the time when they got Emery. They had a better side than us then, they had more attract and talent than we had, but he's done a brilliant job on to take them from where they were last season, to where they are right now, cos they're in the title race at the minute, but you know, they're a win off Liverpool, they were top, and that is incredible for where they are. They are improving away from home, but like I said, I must have had to face them and beat the small villa park, and we did go and knock them out of the Carabao Cup this season and it was relevant. It was literally two games, they'd just beaten, come off the back of beating Manchester City in Arsenal in a week, and it was literally those two games, but I suppose when you're at the top of the table, it comes down to a couple of games. I did see them, I got to see them in the last half an hour against Burnley, a Philo Parthen. They didn't look, they looked very, very edgy, they won it late on. I think Lyle Foster scored and made it 2-2. They had a tight of play. They got a last minute penalty, didn't they? And you know, on the side of the bar, and then Burnley had 2-2. I was a bit nervous, because obviously our position where Burnley wanted Bill at the score, but Burnley seemed to have loads of joy from a long striper. He seemed to be in nearly every time. Foster's goal was literally one ball, that was it. Well, that's the thing about him, isn't it? Defensively, they've been very organised and that's been the backbone, obviously, of where they are, but I suppose if you've got joy and you have enjoy that long ball, because that can be very, even though it's so obvious, it can be hard to defend at times. It's more in the play, I think, where they get to very organised, but a long straight ball, certainly, you know, from the goalkeeper with his accuracy to Dominic Harvill-Lewin, and if we do have to call it back, making that run, you know, making the run off the knockdowns, that's maybe somewhere where we can hit them, but they have a lot of energy in the middle of the park, so it's really a big area of the game and Ollie Watkins has been in tremendous form, not only for scoring, but also for assist, but let's have a little look at the stat pack for this game. This weekend, Everton take on Aston Villa at Gooderson Park, 2pm in the Premier League. Everton have faced Aston Villa 57 times in the Premier League, winning 13, drawing 19 and losing 25. In the Premier League, Everton haven't beat Villa since 2016 in March goals from Funes Moray, Aaron Lennon and Romelu Lukaku, although Everton did beat Aston Villa in the League Cup this season, 2-1 at Villa Park. Currently in the League, Everton sit 17th after a 10-point seduction, but have won 8 games, drawn 2 and lost 10. Aston Villa sit 2nd, they've won 13 games, drawn 3 and lost 4. Everton are averaging 1.2 goals scored per match, while Villa average 2.15 and Everton have kept 6 clean sheets this season, while Villa have only kept 4. Everton's biggest win this season came at home against Newcastle, which finished 3-0, while Aston Villa's biggest win was against Brighton at Villa Park, which finished 6-1. Olly Watkins is Aston Villa's top scorer this season, he is currently on 9 goals and Leon Bailey follows behind with 6. Abdelide the Corry has also scored 6 goals this season and he is their top scorer. So there you go, there is the story of both sides. Let's have a little look at Villa's team from the last time out in the Premier League. They've got obviously a concept playing right back there, Carlos, Lenglith, Moreno, Llyga Dine out, he's missing again this weekend, but they've made feely on Bailey, John McGinn, Douglas Lewis, Jacob Ramges, coming back at the start of the season, Andrew Bradney, Diabi and obviously Olly Watkins. He's set up very similar to us, Diabi now plays in that centre role and obviously he's got a bit more pace about him than the Corry, but it's sort of similar isn't it, the way again occupying that role between the striking and the midfield and they've got, I think Pau Taros is available for this game as well he's been a bit of a miss for them, Tealamon's back as well. So they're getting a bit more and that's obviously what you need at this time and they've still got European action for the rest of the season as well which really they should win they should win that trophy, I mean if they don't win that trophy then that's them relegate them well yeah I think so they should win it, they're the best side in that by far and they've got the best manager in it he's got history, he's got previous with European trophies he knows how to win a European trophy so they should definitely win that the squad the players they've got yeah but Ollie Watkins, let's have a little look at it his numbers, games 20, goals 9 assists 8, XDA of 9 0.08 and an XDA of 2.7 9 so he's obviously he's a double danger isn't he and this is a player that I mean when they brought him in he looked a go player but not quite the way he started and Gerard couldn't get the best out of him which meant that he nearly nearly moved to Heaven saying that it was something that could have happened if fingers were pulled out of places but he's gone up a level, I mean like to John McGinn I think he's gone up a level with Emery and he's become a very combative midfielder but with obviously with an eye for a goal and just he's gone up but Ollie Watkins has gone up massively hasn't he and even though he's a different player than Dominic Arvallun I think sailing in that England's setup has become what Dominic Arvallun was that back up striker to Harry Kane as we go into a Euros yeah I mean I don't know whether to like Ville or to be bitter about them but obviously I do like Ville the symbol club to us the statue to us the fans and everything but he's got four players that could have played for Everton we've heard Alan Stubbs right going on about he recommended to John McGinn all those years ago and Everton didn't take the the plunge mwys of the Abbey and Leon Bailey people who watched this will know they're banged on about them for years and Ollie Watkins was Everton deciding to go all in on Anthony Gordon instead of doing the deal and you know Ville Steven Gerrard wanted him gone Everton you know apparently had conversations with Ville they were happy for him to go at that time cos I think Gerrard had other ideas of who he wanted to bring in and we may have ended up with Watkins but since he stayed he's been and he's been good for Ville they took the gamble on him he's had Brentford he got him, developed them a little bit like you say he was a bit raw at the start just because of the Premier League he's been a champion to you and since then he's come in he's been brilliant he's fully deserved to be in England fantastic again this season great movement, energy works hard we've seen him cos at the first season Ville were back when he nicked the ball off Hullgate was it I think Al Ghazi got the winner in that one in Covid or whatever it was he's been a bit of a pain in the ass to us go player I think did we break the record for Ville as well-scored in consecutive Premier League games and got us in last year when he got the pen I think it was like six games on the run or something so he is a handful he's a great player but they've got look at the team, they've got the threats on the arby they've got Bayley like you said they've got John McGinn there's a lovely balance about them with Douglas Lewis in there as well but they're not Manchester City and what I mean by that is they're a very very good strier but they can be gore city can be but I just think at a level below city overall the way the games play they're brilliant strier and they're right in the title race right now they haven't quite got that experience of city so evident it is a game we can win but like I said before we'd have to play it we have to play it at peak and we have to hope to play it like anyway we have to hope to just a little bit below what we normally are see when we play we can feel the part of the face the battle is talking to the cleaners second time obviously we played really well I think when you mention you say like a little level below you have to look at the bench if everything can keep a tie play the way we play we will make opportunities it's whether we take the more we knock on it no I know but what I mean by that is that you if Evan can get into the same position against Manchester City you're not necessarily thinking the second half will change because they can bring on this player or that player if Evan can get into the battle with them and it will be about taking chances for us won't it because that's where the manager can say it all he wants about how many chances we create but we just don't take the chances that's our biggest issue whether it be Dominic Alvin on the front and obviously without Decore that's been a massive thing but Decore looks like he will be back and obviously that's a huge boost isn't it because we know Dwight MacNeill is not going to be available and I was expecting Dwight MacNeill when a face or I was thinking the west I thought this is going to be months but it looks like he could be back I mean if he's not back for Palace then certainly the next Premier League game if we get him the FA Cup but having Decore he backs huge because I just think you just have to balance them with Ville he balances our team out absolutely and I think this and Dwight MacNeill has been really good for Evan since Sean died to come when he's worked out he hasn't been as good this season but he's still worked his songs off and he's had moments when he's been really good but we can play the same way but off Decore he is what we do and again that stat that we were quite surprised with last week that Evan have only won three games since Decore he signed without him is a mad stat Dan's humour can play on the left and Evan can still have a bit of balance Lewis Dobbin could even play on the left and Evan could still have some balance without Decore that we've seen you know I'd have liked Decore he went off for half time at Burnley when Evan was winning 2-0 and Evan haven't won a game since he's been out so that's how important he is where Dwight MacNeill we might win games without him I just think it would be better if we had him of course we would but Decore he's evidence came on and it's good news that fingers crossed he will be back in the start and Lewis been training for a few days now the man had said he was close to the palace game in the cup didn't he but it was the right that he didn't use him at Sellers Park let him rest properly because he is key for us and having him back on Sunday will be key let's have a little look at the team of face walls a couple of weeks feels like ages old doesn't it obviously we'll be back to back for Michael Keane would come out and Decore he would go in you would imagine and Dwight MacNeill would go out and Dan Diwme would go in and there's obviously been a lot of talk about Dan Diwme's future as well Evan can't even be thinking can't leave right now of him going anyway not without replacing him there can't be there can't be a world where Evan think yeah we'll just let him go for the sake of it because the squad isn't big enough it's options isn't it for me and I think this is well known anyway Evan are looking for an additional winger anyway in this window on loan and they're looking for an additional midfield player someone who can play in Decore's role or in midfield so that's two loans that Evan are looking at they try to get Hannibal Metsbury in but he's chosen to go to Sevilla so the clearly looking there and John Dyche said in his press conference that if a deal comes up deal do it that's where it is it's whether or not so it make no sense and if Evan were thinking we will let him go because the lad wants out he can't even be thinking that until the end of the month anyway because like you've said before we play Sunday we play on Wednesday against Palace if we progress from Palace we've got another cup we've got Fulham on the 30th then there's Deadline Day now it depends how quick you can get that new if you're getting a new winger in whatever you have to can you get him in between the Palace game and if we progress the next round of the cup or if not Fulham well okay if we can then maybe Dan Zuma goes then he can't go on the next week and he absolutely cannot be this football club until we have a replacement for him because same with all the speculation about onana even though I do think that's all it is Evan cannot even for me contemplate allowing onana to leave the football club anyway this window that's a deal that should be done in the summer after the Euros when hopefully he's done well and added a few more million on to his price tag no absolutely I don't think you can let onana go anywhere he's what elevators to being a better team than we obviously look like right now in the Premier League because he's such a good player I don't think we should be letting anybody go because the squad's just too thin and Dwight McNeill being out when we obviously don't know who's supposed to be suspended you'll have to look at the worry then and that worry from fans when you're looking at injuries and suspension it filters through and it filters into goodness and none of that decision we need to be going into games thinking I know it's difficult but don't add to it and that's what people at this football club did this time 12 literally this time 12 months ago this weekend he added to that worry and we've got to try and get away away from all that and if you're letting players go and you're just it's okay because he hasn't played that much it's okay because we can't get to know don't add to it get through the season and start talking about those kind of sell players or let players go and it's good for you not good for somebody else you're stressed out a lot of this is just media talk no of course it is but the problem is media talk and social media add to the stress of being a football fan now and don't get me wrong I think Sean Dyche deals with it really well saying he and his press conferences and the press conferences he's done ahead of this game you almost feel like you need you couldn't get this football club to address you as often as you can I thought you were very clever this week ever because the when the owner's story come out he rehashed an owner in an interview from the programme from the last home game from the city game almost into say this is nonsense he's an ever play and it is it's in black and white they need to do the old midweek press about the local genals where a couple of local genals can just go in and go what's this all about nonsense having it once a week because it's the same with the Dwight MacNeill stuff because there was nothing everybody starts fearing the worst and just think if it was good news they would have put it out there clubs are very they want to leave everything because even having a press conference on a Friday ahead of a Sunday game is where you're like nothing you can do with that that's the problem isn't it social media never stops news channels never stop I think years ago you could get away with just the one or having something in the week and whatever people had just looked to the week news and then obviously the game news where it's now people want but a manager would pick up the phone and just go it's not happening this is fine or he's fit or whatever now it's that constant chain no news, there's bad news isn't it it's someone put something out you're waiting for it to be disproved so people then don't disprove it you start worrying why has no one said anything and so on a Sunday you might just be like well there was nothing to say it's settling down for Dwight MacNeill there was nothing to say it's settling down every day and I'll have a better idea on Friday Monday it's not serious it doesn't mean it it goes around the circles as well as any people speculate they said this and they said that and the worry starts to build there's a no win sort of situation there but certainly for bych apart from the Arsenal in his first game he's not got any kind of record against teams in the top four and as much as as much as some arms it's easy to say oh you were playing this team we could do with winning a couple of games called me against top four top six opposition just to again it's that pressure you win one of these big games you can beat these and beat that I know we've beaten Chelsea in Newcastle recently and that did help that feeling but to take a scalp of a team who were in the second as we talk right now it would help the situation yeah I mean you know if you want to have a criticism of Sean Dyche's time at Everton coming up to a year it's as much enough home games it's as simple as that sort of the away form of brilliantly and he's credited for that and not so much yet and I think we've played nine teams we sure have been in the top six and we've lost eight of them far from beating Arsenal we started the day in the top six so yeah a win against a team like Villa not only helps us as a fan base and way more relaxed it also gives that belief to self-fulfilling prophecy for the team that you can beat anyone you know you beat Aston Villa the next time a big team change you can beat anyone Newcastle have had a good you know on a good run on all that but they were outside the top six they're still not you know you're beating Newcastle Chelsea is the name rather than the team something we spoke about at the time played the team not the name and we did beat them but that day we didn't have the 10 points we started the game above them anyway so we did kind of what you would hope to do this is a different prospect obviously this is a Villa team that couldn't get past them because other teams get you know Wolves beat Manchester City at Mollingham Wolves were like you know Forrest beat Aston Villa and Villa were good they dominated the game we're in as fluent as what they have been Forrest took the opportunities when they come along and they've ever won this one I imagine that's exactly what we'll have to do because we do genuinely generally rather make a lot of opportunities in games so we'll have to be clinical and I also think the other side of that is like the mental side of it isn't it Aston Villa having a great season but you don't regard them as a top four team as such so not yet no no that's what I'm saying they're doing amazingly but what I mean that mental thing is it was like when Mudge used to be able to beat Man City all the time even though they were flying it was like yeah but it's Man City there's no previous it's like but the only caveat of that is the Arab that is the issue you know they've won three on the run which is as many as they've won I'm trying to pick a little bright spot but what I'm saying is they've won three on the run which was as many as they've won in the previous 19 so it shows you but when they've won a couple of those games they weren't flying they just come to good listen and won so what we've got to do now is we've got to step up and use the home advantage at good listen and beat them it's a tough game and like it keeps saying we're going to have to be on it but grind the results out they're still going to have a good season we get the win we need the points more than them at the moment they don't need this win no they'll get these points back they're going to win most of their home games they're flying listen we'll be wanting you to win the conference league give us the three points and we'll back it in now we're going to have to play really well to win the game but it's a home game and we're now into what I would describe now the zone where we have to start winning these home games now we really do we've won three home games all season it's just not acceptable and now we have to start getting these results we lost three home games to teams we should have beaten not only because I'd look at them and go way better than full on Wolves and Newton I would expect going into the games on the day we were better than all three and we lost the game as well so I think it's about time we had a good little bit of camera and we got a couple of lucky results was that on Sunday? the goal there is now your thoughts have I made you feel a bit better? there is now your thoughts in the comments on this one very difficult game tricky game but yeah it's a home so let's have a go so there is now your fantasies tell us in the comments what made you so good this season tell us your secrets good in three years and we'll pass them on to Moise to Moise what you want West Ham to improve let us know the link is in the description join us over on toffeeTV Remia for daily live videos exclusive videos and no adverts guaranteed link in the description