Follow live coverage as Everton face Aston Villa today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.
The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola's side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United's latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year - yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.
Meanwhile, it's Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:
Everton FC 0 - 0 Aston Villa FC
Everton vs Aston Villa
20:14Doucoure wins Everton a corner on the right. Again, Tarkowski trudges forward. The delivery has to better than before as Mings has cleared almost every corner so far. The delivery arrives and this time it's Tielemans who nods away.
Everton vs Aston Villa
20:12Kamara strikes low and hard for Aston Villa. Pickford is there though and down to parry the strike with team-mate Branthwaite in the right place to hack the loose ball to safety.
Everton vs Aston Villa
20:11Doucoure fires on target as Everton ramp up the pressure. However, although he arrives at pace on the edge of the box, Martinez has an easier save than it perhaps should've been.
Everton vs Aston Villa
20:10Martinez plays the ball short for Onana and it's a poor pass that nearly sees the Belgian dispossessed by Gueye. Gueye goes down as he tackles through the back of him, yet the foul has gone the way of the Villa man.
Everton vs Aston Villa
20:07The corner is headed out by Mings before a shot from Gueye ricochets up in the box. Konsa is forced to clear acrobatically yet with blue bodies retreating, it's pulled back for offside.
Everton vs Aston Villa
20:06Mykolenko conjures up another promising ball. This time it's deep for Harrison and Digne puts it out for a corner on the right. Tarkowski and Branthwaite have made their way forward.
Everton vs Aston Villa
20:05Villa win a free-kick in a very dangerous area now as Tielemans is brought down by Young after Rogers just managed to skip free of Mykolenko. Digne and Tielemans stand over the set-piece. It's just left of centre. Digne fires, yet it's straight into the wall. There was half a shout for handball as it bounced off Doucoure's hand, yet it's been deemed natural positioning as he jumpoed.
Everton vs Aston Villa
20:02After a couple of poor Villa crosses get cleared, Everton's fans up the atmosphere. Why? Doucoure won his 50-50. That's all it takes to get Goodison rocking. Passion.
Everton vs Aston Villa
20:00Calvert-Lewin fires just wide! Mykolenko flights a lovely ball over for his goal-starved striker in the left-central channel and he hits it as it bounces up. It was past Martinez,but unfortunately, past the right post too. That will still likely help his confidence though.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:57Ndiaye is dispossessed and Cash is fed as Villa surge forward. However, a great recovery tackle from Branthwaite halts momentum.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:55Villa's corner comes to nothing before Pickford then claims a cross and pushes Everton up the pitch. Villa's confidence on the ball threatens again, yet the final pass is missing and possession is back with the man in green once again.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:54So far in this clash, Everton have had just 36% of the ball compared to Villa's 64%. The visitors continue to knock the ball around comfortably until play culminates in a corner award on the left.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:52You really would've backed Watkins to convert there... This season, the forward has eight goals and worked up an xG of 10.44.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:49Watkins! A massive chance goes begging! Young gets caught out on the right and a poor pass back to his centre-back is long and inviting for Watkins to chase. He obliges with Pickford in no man's land, yet as the keeper closes down the angle, the England striker's effort just rolls past the base of the right post. That was great goalkeeping given the circumstances.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:48After Young's corner flies in and Mings nods out, Gueye goes for an audacious volley. His squirming strike is deflected behind for another set-piece. However, Mings rises excellently again to header away from danger.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:47Doucoure surges forward on the right and crosses for Ndiaye. However, Mings is wise to the ball and heads it behind for a corner on that side.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:45Going back to that chance with Tielemans that was so brilliantly blocked by Tarkowski, the Belgian is only the second Aston Villa player on record (from 2003-04) to create three chances in the opening 10 minutes of a Premier League game, after John McGinn v Man City in December 2023.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:44It has been near enough one-way traffic so far in this one, although Everton have a slight reprieve after Onana's foul on Gueye. The Toffees can't get overrun in the midfield, or this game will only heading one way.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:43Ndiaye wins a free-kick on the right after being dragged to the ground. Young whips in, yet Kamara heads it clear.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:41What a block from Tarkowski! Everton can't seem to get a foothold in the early stages and Watkins is played forward with Tielemans spare on his left. It's knocked over to the Belgian and it looks like a great chance, but Tarkowski somehow throws himself in the way to stop the shot.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:40Yellow Card Amadou Ba Zeund Georges Mvom Onana
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:38Villa have two corners in quick succession as the first from Digne on the right is put behind by Tarkowski. The second from the left is headed out by Harrison, but still, Everton just can't get out. Onana drives one from range again, yet it's dragged wide of the left post for a goal-kick.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:36Villa play infield from the right flank and Everton old-boy Onana is able to let fly. However, it deflects behind for a corner on the left. In it comes, yet Young heads it away confidently. In the next phase, Villa keep coming and Rogers forces a fine save from Pickford down in the bottom-right corner!
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:34Villa have had most of the ball so far in this formative skirmish. Everton are just trying to establish a rhythm while disrupting their visitors.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:33One of the main questions this evening, as Everton have Premier League survival in mind, is whether they can reverse recent form. Aston Villa have got the better of Everton of late and are unbeaten in the last 11 Premier League matches between the two. Everton are looking for their first league win in fixtures between the two sides since March 2016. VDuring that period the Villans have outscored the Toffees with 20 goals for and five against.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:32Ndiaye plays the ball back from the centre circle and we're off!
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:31After Moyes receives a brilliant reception from the home faithful, the two captains meet for the coin toss. It seems that the hosts will get us off and underway tonight.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:30Today's official on Merseyside is Samuel Barrott. The referee arrives for his 16th appearance in all competitions this term. Out of those games, 12 have been in the Premier League, with his last outing coming in Boxing Day's West London derby between Chelsea and Fulham (1-2). The atmosphere crackles and fluctuates in this classic old ground as the Z-cars theme rings out, and Barrott walks the two teams onto the turf to a great roar.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:25Aston Villa boss Unai Emery makes four changes from the side that beat West Ham last time out. Emiliano Martinez returns in goal, with Lucas Digne and Jacob Ramsey getting starts. Midfielder Amadou Onana also returns against his old club. He left last summer, and it remains to be seen just how well he'll be received tonight. Despite serving his three-match ban, the now-eligible Jhon Duran stays on the bench as Ollie Watkins continues to lead the line.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:20Returning manager David Moyes names his first Everton starting XI in almost 12 years and makes six changes from last Thursday's FA Cup third round win over Peterborough. Jordan Pickford returns in goal, to make his 300th Everton appearance in all competitions while Ashley Young, James Tarkowski, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Jack Harrison also come into the side. There is also a start for Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front, despite the Englishman’s dry streak that has seen him fail to score in his last 15 games.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:15SUBS: Joe Gauci, Robin Olsen, Ian Maatsen, Kosta Nedeljkovic, Lamare Bogarde, Emiliano Buendia, Jamaldeen Jimoh, Jhon Duran, Leon Bailey.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:15ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne; Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana; Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey; Ollie Watkins.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:10SUBS: Asmir Begovic, Joao Virginia, Jake O'Brien, Michael Keane, Nathan Patterson, Harrison Armstrong, Beto, Jesper Lindstrom, Martin Sherif.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:10EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Ashley Young, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitalii Mykolenko; Orel Mangala, Idrissa Gueye; Jack Harrison, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Iliman Ndiaye; Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:04David Moyes makes his near-fabled return to Goodison Park today after 11-and-a-half-years away as Everton host Aston Villa with two very different sets of permutations on the line. Admittedly, the former West Ham boss he has his work cut out for him - as the Toffees look to overcome a bleak run of form that earned Sean Dyche the sack. Dyche won just one of his last 11 in charge and left Everton a point above the drop zone in 16th. Aston Villa arrive in eighth and are looking to turn their away form around. They’ve lost their last five in a row away from home and have conceded at least twice in all of those defeats. That said, their form at Goodison will give them confidence - they’re unbeaten in their last five visits, winning on three occasions. Furthermore, they can keep their fourth straight clean sheet away at Everton for the first time in this fixture's long history. Last time out, Everton lost 1-0 to AFC Bournemouth, while Villa were defeated away at Nottingham Forest 2-1.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:04Hello everyone, and welcome to this live text coverage of midweek Premier League action. Today, you join us for the 21st matchday as Everton take on Aston Villa under the lights at Goodison Park.
Everton vs Aston Villa
19:00Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Everton vs Aston Villa
17:30Follow all the goals and latest action from the Premier League here with The Independent. Team news and line-ups coming up shortly…
