Sabasports Match Preview
Premier League: Everton vs Aston Villa
Kickoff Time: 2025-01-16 03:30 (HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff
Earlier, Everton officially announced the dismissal of their head coach, Sean Dyche. Subsequently, Everton secured a 2-0 victory against League One team Peterborough United in the FA Cup at home last weekend, finally ending a streak of five league matches without a win. Following this, Everton officially appointed 61-year-old David Moyes as the new head coach. The Scottish manager previously led Everton to glory from 2002 to 2013. Now, Moyes aims to leverage his mature tactical philosophy and rich management experience to help the team overcome its slump and achieve its relegation survival goal. This season, Everton’s performance has been lackluster, currently sitting 16th in the Premier League with a record of three wins, eight draws, and eight losses, just one point above the relegation zone. Given the current difficulties faced by the team, Moyes must instill a solid psychological defense and a clear tactical approach. His football philosophy, based on solid defense complemented by efficient quick counter-attacks, will be crucial.
Aston Villa managed to defeat West Ham United 2-1 at home in the FA Cup last weekend, successfully advancing in the competition while achieving a decent record of three wins, one draw, and one loss in their last five matches. Unai Emery’s Aston Villa typically employs a 4-2-3-1 formation, with a focus on counter-attacking as their preferred tactical approach. They create threats through short passing combinations and breakthroughs on the wings, with efficient quick counter-attacks being their strong suit. However, Aston Villa’s away performance has been poor, with just one win and six losses in their last seven away matches. During this period, Aston Villa scored only four goals while conceding a staggering 17, contrasting sharply with their strong home performances.
There is no doubt that Aston Villa’s strength and overall performance outshine those of Everton. However, Aston Villa’s away games are a significant weakness for them. In contrast, Everton has regained momentum after their recent victory and welcomes the return of their accomplished manager Moyes, which certainly boosts their morale. Additionally, Everton heavily relies on securing points at home, where they have rarely lost. Given these contrasting situations, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Everton defend their home ground and earn points in this match.
Everton’s Last 5 Games: WLLDD
25-01-10 Everton 2-0 Peterborough United
25-01-04 Bournemouth 1-0 Everton
24-12-29 Everton 0-2 Nottingham Forest
24-12-26 Manchester City 1-1 Everton
24-12-22 Everton 0-0 Chelsea
Aston Villa’s Last 5 Games: WWDLW
25-01-11 Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham United
25-01-04 Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester City
24-12-31 Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton
24-12-26 Newcastle United 3-0 Aston Villa
24-12-21 Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City
Head To Head Record:
24-09-15 Aston Villa 3-2 Everton
24-01-14 Everton 0-0 Aston Villa
23-09-28 Aston Villa 1-2 Everton
23-08-20 Aston Villa 4-0 Everton
23-02-25 Everton 0-2 Aston Villa
Prediction: Everton to win or Draw