Everton vs Aston Villa predictions & Premier League tips
Everton vs Aston Villa predictions
Everton’s recent revival has hit the rocks of late and their campaign needs a shot in the arm ahead of Aston Villa’s visit to Goodison Park on Sunday (2pm, Sky Sports Main Event).
, the Toffees responded with a four-game winning streak in the Premier League.
But, their momentum has been stymied over the last month, losing three matches in a row in the top flight and failing to win any of their last five in all competitions.
Sean Dyche’s men have battled hard in spite of their punishment from the Premier League, but if results elsewhere go against them, Everton could be in the bottom three ahead of kick-off against Villa.
The reality of their battle against relegation should be hitting home for the Toffees, especially considering Luton’s improvement in recent weeks.
So, there’s plenty of work ahead for Dyche and his team with high-flying Villa coming to Goodison.
The Villans are well in the race for the Premier League title and have been boosted by Arsenal’s slump over the festive period.
Unai Emery’s side trail league leaders Liverpool by three points and will be eager to keep pace before heading off for their winter break.
Villa advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2016 by beating Middlesbrough 1-0 last time out.
Emery’s men have not been outstanding of late, but are grinding out results in all competitions to continue their impressive campaign.
The visitors are the favourites with football betting sites with odds of 6/4 to win at Goodison. Meanwhile, there is a best price of 39/20 for an Everton to triumph to get their season back on course.
Here are our predictions for Everton vs Aston Villa.
Villa to edge narrow game
Everton’s revival has been derailed by a three-game losing run in the Premier League, although two of those defeats have come against Tottenham and Manchester City.
The Toffees played well against Spurs and were unlucky to not leave with a point, while Jack Harrison did put them ahead against the reigning champions before City rallied.
The only disappointing result was a 3-0 loss to Wolves, which Dyche has attributed to the hectic festive schedule.
Everton played out a goalless draw with Crystal Palace in the FA Cup, which was marred by Dominic Calvert-Lewin's controversial red card that has since been rescinded.
Everton could be without Dwight McNeil, who suffered an injury after Calvert-Lewin's dismissal, while Idrissa Gueye is away at Afcon.
Dyche does not have a lot of options to freshen up his side which is a cause for concern after a hectic period of action.
Bertrand Traore is Villa’s only absentee for Afcon as Emery has strong options to select from. The Midlands outfit put in a professional performance to see off Boro in the FA Cup.
And although Villa’s results on the road have not been as strong as their home form, they’ve still scored two goals in each of their last four matches, including wins over Tottenham and Brentford.
Under Emery, Villa just find a way to win games. Due to Everton’s selection problems and lack of form, we’re backing Villa to emerge with another victory and both teams to score at 10/3 with bet365.
Will Bailey produce in the final third?
After a slow start to his Aston Villa career, Leon Bailey has emerged as one of the bright lights of the Premier League for Emery’s men.
The 26-year-old has 11 goal involvements in 18 appearances, including six goals. Bailey found the net in his side’s win over Burnley last time out in the top flight to cap a fine run of performances in December.
The Jamaica international has become a vital cog alongside Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby in the final third.
He's the key to making Villa tick, using his pace and skill in wide areas to create chances as well as convert those on offer in and around the box.
In his last eight games, Bailey has mustered 13 attempts at goal, six of which have hit the target. He has a good record against Everton, winning four out of five games against the Toffees, scoring two goals in the process.
Bailey found the net in the reverse fixture at Villa Park in August, and we’re backing him to do so again at 15/4 with bet365 to score any time.
Villa cards at Goodison?
Despite their success this season, Villa are one of the worst disciplined teams in the Premier League. Only Sheffield United and Chelsea have accumulated more yellow cards than the Midlands outfit, who have accrued 55 over the campaign.
Particularly over the last month Villa have strayed more than most, collecting 14 yellow cards and a red in four games.
Boubacar Kamara’s dismissal against Brentford just showed that Villa are still a young team in the context of the Premier League title race. They can ill afford further mistakes like that.
Referee David Coote was the official involved in that game, and Villa may not welcome the sight of him again at Goodison Park.
Coote has averaged 4.75 yellow cards in his eight Premier League assignments this term, so we’ll bear that in mind when picking our bet.
Betting apps have set the Villa card line at 2.5, and after looking at the odds on BetMGM we’re backing the over at 49/50.
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Simon Sinclair is an experienced sports journalist, who has written for national publications for football, cricket, NFL and many more. He contributes tips on a wide range of sports for The Independent.
