Aston Villa will look to keep their Premier League title aspirations alive on Sunday at Villa Park when they welcome an Everton team that has lost momentum in 2026. Villa are six points back on league leaders Arsenal and, after a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace last time out in the top flight, they earned a 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. Everton finished 2025 in eighth and with optimism.
Aston Villa will look to keep their Premier League title aspirations alive on Sunday at Villa Park when they welcome an Everton team that has lost momentum in 2026.
Villa are six points back on league leaders Arsenal and, after a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace last time out in the top flight, they earned a 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.
Everton finished 2025 in eighth and with optimism. However, a wretched week of home games – defeats by Brentford and Sunderland (in the FA Cup) sandwiched a draw with bottom club Wolves – has led to simmering frustrations at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Attacking duo integral to Villa
When these two teams met at Everton in September, Villa looked listless in attack in a 0-0 draw. In the months following, they've been revitalised. Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia have been key to that change.
After a slow start, Rogers has been one of the best attacking players in the division this term. He leads Villa for goals and assists, with eight and six respectively in all competitions.
The England international is yet to score against Everton in three attempts. But for Buendia, the Toffees are among his favourite opposition; the midfielder has a career-best three goals against them in the Premier League.
Buendia's return to form and fitness this season has been vital to Unai Emery's side. His 10 goal involvements – including the dramatic late winner over Arsenal – already match his best total for a season since moving to Villa Park.
The duo have showcased their individual brilliance as part of a well-oiled machine. Villa have been canny throughout the season no matter what the situation, gaining the most points from losing positions and dropping the fewest from winning positions.
Can Grealish inspire Everton?
After three poor results in seven days at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton may not mind getting out on the road.
Under David Moyes, the team won nine away matches in 2025. Only Villa, Arsenal and Crystal Palace registered more.
Villa have not been a good match-up for Everton since their return to the top flight in 2019 though. The Toffees have not won any of the past 13 meetings in the Premier League.
Emery and his team are formidable at Villa Park too. Villa have won 23 and drawn four of their last 28 matches there; it's the best home record of any team in Europe since the beginning of last year.
Moyes will be looking to former Villa captain Jack Grealish for inspiration, as he'll be without Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Grealish, who joined the Villa academy as a six-year-old and made 213 appearances for the club, is available again after a suspension. He is yet to score in any of his five appearances against his boyhood club for Manchester City and Everton. He has been booked in his last three games against them though.
Category: General Sports
