Sean Dyche handed two things he desperately needed as Everton face awkward Aston Villa truth.

Sean Dyche handed two things he desperately needed as Everton face awkward Aston Villa truth.

When Everton hosts Aston Villa at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon, they will be back in action. The Blues’ most recent game was last Thursday in the FA Cup against Crystal Palace.The main topic of conversation during the 0-0 tie was Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s red card.

The England international’s sending-off was reversed earlier this week due to an appeal by the club, and as a result, he is now eligible to play against Unai Emery’s team this Saturday. Our Everton jury has returned to offer their opinions on both on and off the field, with last Thursday’s match still fresh in their memories.

Paul McParlan – Against All Odds

There was every reason to take encouragement from ten-man Everton’s hard-fought draw at Selhurst Park last Thursday, despite the combined efforts of the home side and VAR.

After the controversial and inexplicable decision to send Dominic Calvert-Lewin off for brushing the ankle of Nathaniel Clyne with his boot, the Blues held on and could even have won the game in the dying minutes. It was a measure of the resilience that Sean Dyche has installed in his charges that even when the match officials and VAR do their best to break our resolve, the spirit of the Blues is never diminished.

Thankfully, the red card was rightfully rescinded, and Dom is available for selection again.

Bringing Crystal Palace to Goodison for a replay was good news for Evertonians. We have so few games left at our ancestral home that any additional matches are to be welcomed, and if we win, there will be a fourth-round tie here as well.

It is a huge relief to have some more games to watch at our stadium instead of the meager one that was originally planned, as January may be one of the most gloomy months of the year.

Another challenging test will come from the formidable Aston Villa. We will be in the bottom three, which always increases the strain, if Luton Town wins on Friday. Villa Park was the scene of possibly our poorest performance of the season.

We have only scored once in our last six Premier League meetings with them, and we have lost our last nine games against them. Nevertheless, we may benefit from this matchup, as demonstrated by our September League Cup victory at Villa Park.

Unai Emery’s team have overachieved in this campaign, but their recent collapse at Manchester United, throwing away a two-goal lead, shows they are vulnerable on their travels. Abdoulaye Doucoure being available again would be a massive boost; his goals are crucial in the fight for survival.

Everton are such a better team when he plays, with his ability to hit opponents on the counterattack and his deadly finishing. With such a small squad, Everton cannot afford long-term injuries to key players, especially if no reinforcements are arriving this month. One can only hope that Dwight McNeil will not be absent for too long.

A win on Sunday followed by a victory over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup three days later would be an indication that, with the shorter nights, brighter days could be on the horizon for Everton. And that the longest-running fixture in the top-flight of English football will continue into our final season at Goodison Park!

Alex McMonnies – One of the worst officiating decisions

Even with a dull goalless draw in the cup match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday, uproar across the country could not be avoided. The next morning’s headlines were dominated by the utterly strange decision made by VAR official Craig Pawson to straight red card Dominic Calvert-Lewin for an incident for which the on-field referee had not even declared a foul in real time.

The FA’s decision to reverse the red card following Everton’s successful appeal has further strengthened the argument that it was one of the worst officiating calls of the season thus far.

Calvert-Lewin’s dismissal in the 79th minute halted the Toffees’ momentum after they had dominated large portions of the second half and were looking good value for a late winner, which would have secured passage to the fourth round of the FA Cup. Instead, they were forced to play out the remainder of the game in a more cautious fashion and earned a replay at Goodison Park to be played on January 17.

There’s no denying the Blues could have done with a win to kickstart 2024 after a slightly concerning end to the previous year, but there were certainly positives to take from their performance, although the familiar issue of players failing to take their chances reared its head once more.

Even worse, late in the game, Dwight McNeil—who had played a terrific second half after being switched back to his natural left-wing position—went down with an ankle injury and needed to be helped off. Arnaut Danjuma’s career at Goodison Park appears to be in jeopardy, which may make Sean Dyche’s club appear extremely vulnerable.

Abdoulaye Doucoure is expected to return to the starting lineup for Everton’s upcoming game against Aston Villa, which is encouraging because the manager chose not to risk him against Palace. Toffees will need the Malian to be at the top of his game if they hope to get any kind of victory against a Villa team that is playing brilliantly under Unai
Luke Davies – The referee stole the show.

The draw against Crystal Palace wasn’t a bad result in isolation, but, once again, the referee stole the show as they always do. I won’t go on about it; Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s tackle wasn’t a foul, never mind a red card. Both teams had few chances, but no one seemed to gamble to win the game.

I was impressed by Arnaut Danjuma, who proved he has the quality to fill in when others are injured. Joao Virginia provided a safe pair of hands between the sticks, and the defense was relatively untroubled. However, it is obvious how much we missed Abdoulaye Doucoure in the ten roles: the sooner he’s back, the better.

Moving onto the Aston Villa game, the Blues will have had over a week’s rest come Sunday afternoon, a well-deserved break. Hopefully, the players are rejuvenated.

Selection-wise, Jordan Pickford starts. I’d keep the defense exactly the same as it was for the Palace game, but Seamus Coleman, as hard-working as he is, does provide a dilemma. The pace of Jacob Ramsey, Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey on the flanks is enough to give even the nimblest of full-backs a nightmare, never mind a 35-year-old returning from a long stint out.

In the middle, I’d persist with Amadou Onana and James Garner, fingers and toes crossed for the return of Doucoure. If Doucoure isn’t match-ready, I’d play Jack Harrison in the 10-role with Danjuma on the right, possibly introducing Lewis Dobbin in place of the injured Dwight McNeil. Up top, well, it depends on the appeal, but regardless, I’d give Beto another go. Calvert-Lewin looks completely bereft of confidence.

We can certainly cause them problems defensively, supported by the fact that they have conceded 27 league goals, just one fewer than Everton. Come on, Everton! Although we defeated Villa in the League Cup earlier this season, our record against them is dismal; we lost our last two home games against the Villains. Despite tottering in recent weeks, Unai Emery’s side are still second in the league despite managing to beat Burnley and Middlesbrough late in the game and giving up a two-goal lead at Old Trafford.

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