TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton returned to training on Wednesday after an ankle injury and will be assessed.
Scott Sinclair is available after being ineligible to face parent club Manchester City, but Gabby Agbonlahor remains out with a tight hamstring.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has no new injuries to contend with and could name an unchanged side following the 3-0 victory against Manchester United.
Bryan Oviedo will miss the remainder of the season with a broken metatarsal.
MATCH PREVIEW
Timing is everything - and both Aston Villa are Everton are arguably in their best form of the season.
Villa were remarkably unlucky to lose at Manchester City last weekend and although the suggestion that relegation is still a possibility riled Tim Sherwood in his post-game Match of the Day interview that day, he'll certainly feel a whole lot happier once they've got a couple more wins.
Only a week or so ago it looked as though one more win might do it for Villa - but the continuing revival of Hull and Leicester has pushed up the estimated points tally for what should equate to safety.
Villa are on 32 points at the moment - two above Sunderland in 18th, and have played a game more.
Lawro's prediction |
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Aston Villa were unlucky to lose at Manchester City last week and, after struggling for goals when Paul Lambert was manager, they now look a good side going forward.
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With Villa playing well, and with three of their four remaining fixtures at home, they should be fine - the home games against West Ham and Burnley look particularly inviting.
Everton's season has been more troubled than anyone could have imagined. There's been considerable discontent at results and tactics, and 10 Europa League games took a predictable toll.
The Blues have finished in the top eight for each of the last eight seasons, and it's just about feasible that they could squeeze into that group again - 16 points from the last 18 available have been a timely reminder of what Everton are capable of.
Those with decent mid-term memories will recall what a terrible struggle David Moyes' second season at the club was, and standing by him proved to be a good decision.
Those with longer memories will recall a classic encounter from this month almost 40 years ago, when Villa and Everton needed two replays and two lots of extra-time to decide the 1977 League Cup final.
A minute away from the first ever penalty shoot-out in an English final, Brian Little scored to ensure that Villa were the ones running round with the silverware.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- This is the 200th staging of the most-played fixture in the English top flight. Everton lead by 74 wins to Aston Villa's 72, with 53 draws.
- Everton could register four straight league wins against Villa for the first time in 40 years.
- Villa are winless in eight meetings since a 1-0 home victory in August 2010 (D4, L4).
Aston Villa
- They have the worst home record in the division, with three wins, 15 points and just 14 goals scored from 16 games.
- Villa have only won one quarter of their last 73 home matches in the Premier League, and averaged 1.03 points per game in those fixtures (W18, D21, L34, Pts 75).
- Their tally of 14 league goals in nine games under Tim Sherwood is two more than they managed in the previous 25 games of the season.
- According to Opta statistics, Villa are averaging a goal every six shots under Sherwood compared to one every 16 when Paul Lambert was in charge this season.
- The Villans still need seven points to eclipse their lowest final total in a Premier League campaign of 38 points, which they got in 2011-12 and 2013-14.
- Christian Benteke has scored nine goals in his last eight league and cup games for Aston Villa, having only scored three times in his first 21 appearances.
Everton
- Everton have taken 16 points from their last six Premier League games. It previously took them 19 matches to earn that many points.
- They have kept seven clean sheets in 13 league games and only Arsenal and Chelsea have conceded fewer goals than Everton's nine in that period.
- Despite their recent revival, the Toffees are 22 points worse off than they were at the same stage last season.
- Roberto Martinez's side have dropped a league-high 19 points from winning positions.
- Romelu Lukaku has 18 goals this season but his only Premier League strike in nine matches since January was a penalty against Newcastle.
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