Aston Villa aim to fortify their position in the Premier League title race as they welcome a depleted Everton side to Villa Park on Sunday afternoon.
Unai Emery’s side occupies third place in the table. They received a major boost yesterday after their title rivals dropped points. Leaders Arsenal were held to a frustrating draw by Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, Manchester City suffered a defeat at the hands of Manchester United. A win today would allow Villa to significantly close the gap.
The Lions have turned Villa Park into a fortress despite injuries. They now seek a 12th consecutive home victory. The club has not achieved this feat in a single season since 1972. Conversely, Everton travel to the West Midlands under pressure. The Toffees aim to snap a dismal run of just one win in their last seven outings.
Aston Villa vs Everton – Match Preview and Team News
Date: Sunday, 18 January 2026
Kick-off: 16:30 GMT
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
Referee: Tony Harrington
VAR: Paul Howard
Last Meeting: Everton 0–0 Aston Villa, 13 Sept 2025, Premier League
Team News
Aston Villa
Unai Emery is facing a midfield selection headache with Boubacar Kamara (knee), Amadou Onana (hamstring), and Ross Barkley (knee) all ruled out. However, goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has been passed fit to start after a calf scare. In attack, Ollie Watkins will lead the line following Donyell Malen’s permanent move to Roma, supported by Morgan Rogers, who has recorded 11 goal involvements in his last 12 starts.
Everton
The visitors are severely weakened by absentees, with Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye away at the AFCON final with Senegal. Michael Keane is suspended, while Jarrad Branthwaite, Seamus Coleman, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are among a long list of confirmed injury absentees. On a positive note, former Villa captain Jack Grealish is available to return to the starting XI after serving a one-match ban.
Form
Aston Villa
The Lions have been irresistible at home, winning their last 11 matches at Villa Park across all competitions. While they were recently held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace in the league, they bounced back with a merited FA Cup victory over Tottenham. Notably, Villa have avoided defeat in each of their 13 Premier League matches against Everton since earning promotion in 2019.
Everton
Everton arrive in Birmingham in a difficult run of form, having triumphed just once in their last seven assignments. Their most recent league outing was a 1-1 home draw with Wolves, followed by a heart-wrenching penalty shootout exit to Sunderland in the FA Cup. Furthermore, the Toffees have failed to score in two of their last three away matches, going blank against both Chelsea and Burnley.
Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Bogarde, Tielemans; McGinn, Buendia, Rogers; Watkins
