This Saturday, Aston Villa will welcome Everton to Villa Park for a Premier League clash between two sides with very contrasting starts to the season.
- Date: 14/09/2024
- Kick-off time: 17:30
- Location: Villa Park, Aston
Aston Villa come into this fixture in 7th place, having picked up six points from their first three games. The club, led by manager Unai Emery, are enjoying a strong start to what promises to be a challenging season. Villa’s ambitions have grown significantly since Emery took over, with last season marking their best-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 4th and securing a coveted place in the Champions League. Off the back of that campaign, expectations are very high both within the club and among its supporters for a repeat or even improvement on last year’s successes.
However, with Champions League football now part of their weekly schedule, Aston Villa will need to juggle domestic and European commitments. The demands of midweek fixtures against Europe’s elite are likely to put pressure on the squad, and maintaining form in the Premier League while competing on multiple fronts will not be an easy task - just ask Newcastle. Fatigue, injuries, and squad rotation will inevitably play a role, and Villa will have to manage their resources wisely if they are to compete at the top level across all competitions.
Emery will, then, have to ensure the squad's depth is fully utilised, with the club recruiting a number of capable players in the summer. While the club has made several signings to bolster their ranks, the burden of consistent performance cannot solely rest on the likes of Ollie Watkins and Amadou Onana. Squad rotation will be crucial to avoid burnout, particularly among players involved in both the league and the Champions League, and managing these expectations will test both the squad's quality and the abilities of Unai Emery.
Among Villa’s early success stories this season is young Colombian striker Jhon Durán, who has caught the eye with two goals in his first three matches. At 20 years old, Durán is a player of high potential, and his strong start to the campaign has been a welcome addition to Villa's attacking options. Last season, Ollie Watkins led the line with great success, recording a career-best campaign, but Durán’s early form has given Emery something to think about in terms of team selection, with Watkins' performances still very rusty off the back of an inactive preseason.
While it's unlikely that Durán will immediately displace Watkins as Villa’s primary striker, his presence provides competition for places, which could push both players to perform at their best. Durán’s pace, physicality, and eye for goal have already earned him praise, and his development will be something Villa fans are eager to watch over the course of the season. For now, he remains a promising alternative to Watkins, but his growing influence could see him play a bigger role as the season progresses, particularly if Emery opts for a two-striker system or needs to rest his more experienced forwards.
In stark contrast to Villa’s optimism, Everton have endured a torrid start to the season as the Toffees find themselves rooted to the foot of the table after three games, having yet to secure a point. With just two goals scored and a concerning 10 goals conceded, Everton’s early form has left fans frustrated and anxious about what lies ahead. Manager Sean Dyche now faces mounting pressure as the team's poor performances continue to raise questions about his leadership.
Dyche’s managerial style, often characterised by a direct, sometimes overly basic (offensively) approach, has been met with mixed reactions. While his pragmatism helped Everton avoid relegation last season, the lack of creativity and dynamism in the team’s play has led to growing discontent among supporters. The results have only exacerbated this dissatisfaction, with Everton struggling to find any sort of rhythm or consistency on the pitch.
In Dyche’s defence, he has not been helped by the absence of key players. The loss of defender Jarrad Branthwaite to injury has left a significant hole in the backline, and the departure of influential midfielder Amadou Onana, who joined Aston Villa over the summer, has further weakened the squad. Everton’s transfer business over the summer window did little to inspire confidence, with few proven players arriving at Goodison Park. Dyche has been left to work with a squad that lacks the quality needed to compete consistently at this level, and the results so far have reflected that.
One positive for Everton in an otherwise grim start to the season has been the emergence of Tim Iroegbunam. The 21-year-old midfielder, who signed from Aston Villa in the summer, has quickly become one of the few bright spots in Everton’s early fixtures. Iroegbunam has impressed with his energy, composure, and ability to carry the ball forward, offering a glimmer of hope in an otherwise underperforming team.
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