Things are looking all rosy for Everton. The club collected one point in the month of August across their previous three campaigns. This time, they have already got six on the board, winning 2-0 against **Brighton**in their first home game at their new ground and 3-2 away at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
David Moyes came back to the Toffees at the start of the year with the task of stabilising the side in the Premier League, and he has done much more than that. Building on the foundations of Sean Dyche, he guided the group to mid-table comfort by May, and they now sit fifth in the standings.
Jack Grealish is getting all the limelight as Moyes' maverick, but the board backed the Scot with some smart recruitment from back to front in the summer. The future is looking bright on the blue half of Merseyside, and the challenge of climbing the table continues against an outfit out of form.
Aston Villa have been among the best of the rest ever since Unai Emery walked into the dugout in November 2022. Never has he failed to steer the side into European football. But if his men do not get themselves together soon, he could fall short of that standard for the first time in four attempts.
The Villans went down to ten men on opening matchday and held onto a 0-0 draw with Newcastle United. They then suffered a 1-0 loss to Brentford and were then defeated 3-0 by Crystal Palace.
Their unbeaten record at Villa Park of over a year is now finished, and the squad sit in the bottom three at the start of the weekend. After a stressful summer, the team need points sooner rather than later to lift the mood and are also aiming to avoid four successive blanks in the Premier League.
Jarrad Branthwaite has been out of action with a hamstring injury and remains unavailable.
Vitalii Mykolenko and Iliman Ndiaye are both doubts after their returns from international duty.
**Jack Grealish**is likely to start against the club where he first made his name in the game. If he assists a pair of goals again, he will become the first player to pull off this feat in three consecutive matches.
Only four players in the **Premier League**have scored more goals than the eight of **Beto**since Moyes arrived at the club. However, he could still stay second fiddle to Thierno Barry as the starting striker.
There will be no return to **Everton**for Ross Barkley, who is ruled out with some personal issues.
Amadou Onana, also a former player for the Toffees, joins **Boubacar Kamara**on the sidelines. It means a double pivot of Youri Tielemans and John McGinn is most probable for the visitors.
Matty Cash scored against the **Netherlands**and **Finland**for Poland, but he also picked up a small niggle. The manager confirmed that this issue will not force him to sit out of the action in Merseyside.
Likely Line-ups
Everton
Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Garner; Gueye, Iroegbunam; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry
Aston Villa
Martinez; Cash, Torres, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Malen, Elliott, Rogers; Watkins
Key Players
Everton – Jack Grealish
It does not need explanation: the union between Grealish and **Everton**is a match made in heaven.
Grealish is a throwback of a mid-table maverick with his vision, passing, and ability to draw fouls from the left. Moyes has made a habit of getting value from these types of players in a solid, stable framework, and the Englishman is showing that he still has something magical to give to the game.
With two assists against **Brighton**and **Wolves**apiece, the **Man City**loanee earned the award of the **Premier League**Player of the Month for the first time. He might not want to inflict more pain on his boyhood club, but Grealish is getting his kicks now out of being the darling of the Everton faithful.
Aston Villa – Harvey Elliott
The Villans need to turn around their form sooner rather than later. Could a new face lift the mood?
Harvey Elliott is a player who has found minutes hard to come by at Liverpool. But both **Jurgen Klopp**and Arne Slot salute his qualities as an individual who can pick the lock with his creativity.
Villa have struggled in the final third this term, failing to register a single goal. Some of their squad construction is responsible for this. Morgan Rogers was the most creative force in their ranks out of their attackers, but even he is a player who thrives most in back-to-front situations as a ball carrier.
With **Youri Tielemans**dropping deeper out of the ten role, Villa might find a better balance in their midfield. Elliott is eager to be a main man somewhere, and Emery could unleash him from the get-go.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The game will take place at the home of Everton, the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
What time is kick-off?
The kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 BST on Saturday, 13 September 2025.
How can I watch?
Live footage will be not available for viewers in the UK due to the 3pm blackout.