Everton vs Aston Villa

Match Preview

David Moyes faces his first test as the new Everton manager with the visit of Aston Villa to Goodison Park under the lights on Wednesday night.

The number of senior players he can call on is still limited by injuries, with Armando Broja the latest worry after he was carried off in pain 10 days ago after jarring his leg as he kicked the turf when attempting to strike the ball against Bournemouth, the swelling still preventing a full scan and diagnosis. 

James Garner, Tim Iroegbunam and Youssef Chermiti seem to have been getting closer to the point of returning to the first team but have yet to make the subs bench; none even merited a mention by David Moyes in his pre-match presser which seemed to be more about his triumphant return to the club, than the pressing matter of 3 points needed against Aston Villa in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

At least Moyes seems to understand the fundamental problem Everton have faced all season, if not for far longer: the chronic inability to score anything like enough goals. It seems he has already had words with the enigmatic centre-forward he inherited on arrival, having spoken with Dominic Calvert-Lewin to make sure he knows what is expected of him. Whether the wantaway striker will respond to such encouragement remains to be seen…

Dominic Calvert-Lewin could return after being dropped from the squad for the Peterborough match cup-tine, while McNeil, who scored the opener in Everton’s 3-2 defeat at Villa Park in September, is still missing through injury.

At least Moyes shouldn’t have to do too much to get the defence working to order; when it comes to that side of the game, the philosophies of the current and former incumbents of the Goodison hotseat are almost indistinguishable. 

The difference will be manifest hopefully further up the field, where the transition from defence to attack when turning over possession of the ball from the opponents tomorrow night will be a critical sign of what Moyes has been able to achieve in the short time since his Second Coming. Can the midfield show some creativity and positive meaningful forward movement, both on and off the ball?

Will the full-backs be allowed to cross the half-way line and even overlap with forwards to provide crosses that we all know they should be perfectly capable of delivering? 

Will the exciting ball skills and determination of Iliman Ndiaye be better provided with supporting players at close quarters who can give him options for playing one-twos and getting himself into an often crowded penalty area so that he can execute the final act of his elegant slaloms with more effectiveness? 

Dyche’s reliance on set-pieces has fallen flat this season, and David Moyes must surely recognize that goals scored from forward and midfield players across the team in open play is perhaps the only way he is going to turn around the plummeting fortunes of the dispirited and largely disinterested players who Dyche has left him with.

Evertonians will need no reminder that the visitors could provide a return for Ross Barkley, Lucas Digne and Amadu Onana – three of the many in a long list of ‘better’ former Everton players who have been made available for transfer, most likely to ensure a substantial profit in the player transactions column while the quality of the squad declined so much on Farhad Moshiri’s watch. 

However, Barkley is ruled out of this game with injury, as are Pau Torres, John McGinn, and Diego Carlos, but Emiliano Martinez is expected to be fit and Jhon Duran returns from suspension.  Unai Emery also has a new player to consider: Aston Villa have completed the signing of Borussia Dortmund’s Dutch winger Donyell Malen.

The 25-year-old is Villa’s first signing of the January transfer window after a productive spell in Germany, netting 39 goals and providing 20 assists in 132 appearances. But this season, he has only scored 3 from 14 Bundesliga appearances, mainly off the bench. 

For those who can’t make it to Goodison Park on Wednesday night, the match is being broadcast live on TNT Sports 2, with coverage starting at 18:30 GMT

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