Aston Villa vs Everton

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Aston Villa and Everton, both riding high on the momentum of their recent Premier League victories, are set to clash at Villa Park in the third round of the EFL Cup this Wednesday.

Aston Villa secured a stunning 1-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their most recent Premier League encounter. Meanwhile, Everton notched their first Premier League victory of the season with a 3-1 triumph over Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Aston Villa's qualification for the Europa Conference League allowed them to skip the first two rounds of the EFL Cup. However, their return to continental competition saw them face a tough challenge from Legia Warsaw, who narrowly defeated them 3-2 in their opening match.

Following this, a well-rested Chelsea side aimed to extend Villa's misery by subjecting Unai Emery's team to a third consecutive away defeat, having previously been defeated 3-0 by Liverpool. However, the expensively-assembled Chelsea squad was no match for Aston Villa's resilience over the weekend.

Ollie Watkins, who had yet to score in the 2023-24 Premier League season prior to the match at Stamford Bridge, made his mark with a superbly taken goal. This goal, along with crucial interventions from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, helped secure Villa's fourth win in six Premier League games, firmly placing them in sixth position in the early-season standings.

Aston Villa is also riding a remarkable 10-game winning streak at Villa Park, with their last home loss dating back to February when they were defeated 4-2 by Arsenal. They are determined to avoid a third consecutive exit at this stage of the EFL Cup, having been eliminated by Manchester United and Chelsea in their previous two third-round ties.

James Tarkowski, who once played for Brentford from 2014 to 2016, made a significant impact against his former club during Everton's win over the weekend. Tarkowski returned to London with a goal and an assist, helping Everton secure their first win of the season.

Taking advantage of Brentford's growing injury troubles, Tarkowski set up Abdoulaye Doucoure for Everton's first goal. Although Mathias Jensen managed to equalize for Brentford before halftime, Tarkowski later celebrated a goal of his own by heading in from a corner. Dominic Calvert-Lewin sealed the victory for Everton, lifting them to 15th place in the Premier League standings.

Before their win at the Gtech Community Stadium, Everton's only victory in the 2023-24 season had been a narrow 2-1 EFL Cup third-round win against Doncaster Rovers. However, they are still searching for their first clean sheet of the season as they prepare for a challenging match at Villa Park.

It's worth noting that Everton had previously suffered a 4-0 defeat to Unai Emery's Aston Villa on August 20. Like their opponents, Everton faces the risk of being eliminated in the third round of the EFL Cup for the third consecutive year on Wednesday evening.

In the third round of the EFL Cup, Everton will travel to face Aston Villa. Both clubs are coming into this match off victories and will try to build on them.

Aston Villa is in a good spot in the Premier League points standings, but they have not been reliable enough. With 12 points after six games, they are now ranked sixth. They have lost twice while winning four of their matches.

After losing to Legia Warszawa in the UEFA Europa Conference League, they were able to turn things around by defeating Chelsea in the Premier League.

The new season has been difficult for the Merseyside club. They have only won once thus far in their first six league games, having lost four of them. The visitors are 15th on the points chart with only four points so far.

However, they managed to upset Brentford 3-1 in their most recent game for their lone league victory. Everton controlled play and ultimately proved to be the superior team. Now, they'll try to continue that momentum into their cup match against Aston Villa. The Hard Tackle, meanwhile, examines the two sides in greater detail and makes predictions about the possible strategies they will use. Dyche will continue to use the 4-4-2 lineup.

Lewis Dobbin and Arnaut Danjuma will get the ball wide in the middle of the park. The pair will try to widen their attacks and weaken the defense of the opposition. Additionally, they'll try to support their full-backs.

Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure will play a more central position in the midfield in the meantime. Beto, a summer addition, will attack with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Recently, Calvert-Lewin hasn't been in the finest of shape. He has been having difficulty, and it is anticipated that he will begin this fight while he attempts to get back into shape. In just three appearances in the English top division this season, he has played 89 minutes of football and scored a goal.

 The 26-year-old hasn't been as productive lately though as he was a few years ago. He is now fully recovered, though, and he plans to make a statement by giving an outstanding performance that evening. Calvert-Lewin can prove to be the deciding factor between the two sides.