Aston Villa vs Everton — Match Preview
A classic English fixture takes center stage at Villa Park on Sunday, 18 January 2026, as high-flying Aston Villa host Everton. Unai Emery’s side sits 3rd in the table (43 points), level on points with Manchester City and just six behind leaders Arsenal. The Villans are a formidable force at home, boasting an 11-match winning streak at Villa Park across all competitions.3 They enter this game fresh off a 2–1 FA Cup victory over Tottenham, showing their ability to grind out results even when rotated.
Everton, meanwhile, are 12th with 29 points and travel to the Midlands in contrasting form. David Moyes’ men crashed out of the FA Cup to Sunderland on penalties last weekend and have won just once in their last five league games. The Toffees have a dismal recent record against Villa—winless in their last 13 Premier League meetings since 2019—and will need a monumental defensive effort to stop Villa’s juggernaut on home soil.
Aston Villa vs Everton — Match Info
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 22)
- Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham (Capacity: 42,789)
- Date: Sunday, 18 January 2026
- Kickoff: 16:30 GMT | 17:30 CET | 11:30 ET
- Referee: Tony Harrington (ENG)11
Aston Villa vs Everton — Match Stakes
Aston Villa (3rd — 43 pts):
- Win → Moves to 46 pts; keeps pressure on Arsenal (49 pts) and potentially leapfrogs Man City if they slip up.
- Draw → Extends unbeaten home run but seen as two points dropped in the title race.
- Loss → A rare home defeat; denting momentum and allowing the chasing pack (Liverpool/Chelsea) to close the gap.
Everton (12th — 29 pts):
- Win → Moves to 32 pts; a massive morale boost that snaps a dismal H2H curse.
- Draw → A respectable point at one of the league’s toughest grounds.
- Loss → Extends winless run; keeps them stuck in mid-table limbo with defensive worries mounting.
Aston Villa vs Everton — Team News
Aston Villa:
- Kamara B. — Out (Injury – Midfield Anchor Missing)
- Barkley R. — Out (Knee Injury – Misses Reunion)
- Onana A. — Out (Injury – Misses Reunion)
- Martinez E. — Questionable (Injury – Late fitness test required; Robin Olsen on standby)
- Rotation: With key midfielders out, Youri Tielemans and John McGinn will control the engine room. Morgan Rogers has been the creative spark this season and is expected to start behind Ollie Watkins.
Everton:
- Keane M. — Out (Suspended – Red Card)
- Coleman S. — Out (Hamstring Injury)
- Gueye I. — Out (International Duty – AFCON)
- Ndiaye I. — Out (International Duty – AFCON / Top Scorer)
- Alcaraz C. — Questionable (Injury)
- Dewsbury-Hall K. — Questionable (Hamstring Injury)
- Jack Grealish Returns: The former Villa captain returns to his old stomping ground and will carry the creative burden in Ndiaye’s absence.
- Defensive Crisis: With Keane suspended and Coleman out, James Tarkowski will need to marshal a makeshift backline, potentially including young Jake O’Brien.
Aston Villa vs Everton — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Aston Villa
- 10/01 — 2–1 vs Tottenham (FA Cup)
- 08/01 — 0–0 vs Crystal Palace (Premier League)
- 03/01 — 3–1 vs Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
- 31/12 — 1–4 vs Arsenal (Premier League)
- 27/12 — 2–1 vs Chelsea (Premier League)
Everton
- 10/01 — 1–1 vs Sunderland (FA Cup) [Lost on Pens]
- 08/01 — 1–1 vs Wolves (Premier League)
- 04/01 — 2–4 vs Brentford (Premier League)
- 31/12 — 2–0 vs Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
- 27/12 — 0–0 vs Burnley (Premier League)
Aston Villa vs Everton — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 13/09/2025 — Everton 0–0 Aston Villa (Premier League)
- 16/01/2025 — Everton 0–1 Aston Villa (Premier League)
- 14/09/2024 — Aston Villa 3–2 Everton (Premier League)
- 14/01/2024 — Everton 0–0 Aston Villa (Premier League)
- 28/09/2023 — Aston Villa 1–2 Everton (EFL Cup)
Aston Villa vs Everton — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
Martinez (or Olsen); Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne; Tielemans, McGinn; Bailey, Rogers, Philogene; Watkins
Everton (4-4-1-1)
Pickford; Patterson, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko; Harrison, Garner, Mangala, McNeil; Grealish; Barry (or Beto)
Aston Villa vs Everton — Impact Bench
Aston Villa: Duran (Super-sub goal machine), Buendia (Creativity)
Everton: Calvert-Lewin (Aerial threat), Lindstrom (Pace)
Aston Villa vs Everton — Tactical Analysis
Aston Villa
Unai Emery’s side is masterful at home. They will look to dominate possession and use their high defensive line to squeeze Everton. Morgan Rogers drifting between the lines will be key to unlocking Everton’s low block. Villa will target Everton’s right side (Patterson/Young), exploiting the space behind with Lucas Digne’s overlaps.
Everton
David Moyes will set up to frustrate. Without Ndiaye’s pace and Gueye’s energy, Everton may lack an outlet. They will rely on Jack Grealish winning fouls to break up play and Jordan Pickford’s long distribution. Set-pieces remain their best route to goal, targeting Tarkowski in the air against a Villa side that can be vulnerable at corners.
Aston Villa vs Everton — Key Battles
- Watkins vs Tarkowski — Pace and movement vs brute strength.
- Rogers vs Garner — The battle for space in the No. 10 zone.
- Cash vs Grealish — Villa’s RB needs to stop his former teammate cutting inside.
- McGinn vs The Midfield — Villa’s captain will look to bully a depleted Everton engine room.
Aston Villa vs Everton — Spotlight Players
Aston Villa — Morgan Rogers
With 7 goals and 4 assists this season, Rogers has been a revelation. His ability to turn and drive at defenses makes him the perfect weapon to dismantle a stubborn Everton block.
Everton — Jack Grealish
All eyes are on him. Returning to Villa Park is never easy, but with Everton’s attack decimated by AFCON, he must produce a world-class performance if the Toffees are to steal a point.
Aston Villa vs Everton — Prediction
Aston Villa 2–0 Everton
Villa Park is a fortress (11 straight wins), and Everton are in a slump. The Toffees are missing their top scorer (Ndiaye) and defensive solidity (Keane out).23 While Moyes will organize them well, Villa’s relentless pressure and superior quality in the final third should see them secure a comfortable home victory.
Aston Villa vs Everton — Betting Insights
- Aston Villa to Win — High Probability.
- Aston Villa Clean Sheet — Likely (Everton struggle to score away).
- Under 2.5 Goals — Possible (Moyes will try to keep it tight).
Aston Villa vs Everton — Where to Watch
- UK: Sky Sports Main Event / Premier League
- USA: USA Network / NBC Sports App
- International: FuboTV, Optus Sport
Aston Villa vs Everton — FAQs
Q: When is the Aston Villa vs Everton match?
A: The match kicks off on Sunday, 18 January 2026, at 16:30 GMT.26
Q: Is Jack Grealish playing?
A: Yes. He is available and expected to start against his boyhood club.
Q: Is Iliman Ndiaye playing?
A: No. Everton’s top scorer is on international duty with Senegal at AFCON.
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