Key events
All eyes will be on the touchline today, just in case something kicks off and the two old Liverpool and Chelsea rivals exchange trenchant views … but there really is no point. All friends here!
BT chat to Everton new boy Conor Coady. “It’s been a really good week. It’s been seamless to come here, the lads have been outstanding. I’ve loved the training, but I’m so happy game day is here, that’s what we live for. I had goosebumps on the phone, thinking: I’m talking to Frank Lampard here. It was a little bit surreal. But I listened to every word he said and how he spoke about the club. I’m 29, I want to play as many games as I can, and I want to help Everton Football Club, that’s all I want to do. Every player wants to go to the World Cup, but there are incredible players vying for that position, so it’s up to me to help this club as much as I can. To not be playing was tough, so to come here is amazing. To be here is a real proud moment. I’ve got Evertonians in the family!” All of which is delivered at 1,001 words per minute, barely a breath taken between sentences. He’s up for this all right.
Steven Gerrard speaks to BT Sport. “Tyrone Mings is fully fit. I know I took the captaincy off him, but I didn’t take his position off him. He’s trained well. We’ve been vulnerable from set pieces, so his profile will be very important for us. I always try to be honest. I inherited the captaincy situation and wanted to put my own stamp on it. I wanted it to be my selection. I’m hoping in the long run it will help Tyrone with his consistency, because we’ve all seen he can be a top centre half.” He also names Roy Keane as his dream midfield partner, in the spirit of the Premier League’s 30th birthday celebrations. To be fair, the question forbade his choosing Frank Lampard, so let’s not cause trouble unnecessarily.
Tyrone Mings starts for Aston Villa. The deposed captain takes the place of Ezri Konsa, the only change to the side defeated at Bournemouth last weekend.
Everton hand Conor Coady a debut. He’s one of two changes from the Chelsea loss, Mason Holgate also starting, filling holes left by the injured Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina.
The teams
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Diego Carlos, Mings, Digne, Ramsey, Kamara, McGinn, Watkins, Ings, Coutinho.
Subs: Konsa, Douglas Luiz, Buendia, Chambers, Augustinsson, Young, Olsen, Bailey, Archer.
Everton: Pickford, Patterson, Holgate, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, McNeil, Doucoure, Iwobi, Gray, Gordon.
Subs: Keane, Onana, Begovic, Alli, Coleman, Davies, Ruben Vinagre, Rondon, Mills.
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Preamble
To a certain vintage of fan, this fixture instantly recalls the memorable 6-2 of 1989, Graham Taylor’s Villa on the up, Everton heading the other way, their mid-80s pomp officially over. Gorgeous kits, and the football wasn’t half bad either.
But enough nostalgia, even if this is the most-played fixture in English top-flight history. This is about the here and now, the very first managerial meeting between Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, England’s dream midfield pairing of the Noughties. Neither manager’s coat hangs from a shoogly peg … not yet … but rumblings of discontent won’t be far off should they follow up miserable opening-day defeats with a second loss. Villa did the double over relegation-haunted Everton last season, far superior in both matches, but this time round the Toffees have some fresh defensive power in Conor Coady and Amadou Onana. Villa have the historical advantage at 77 wins to 76 in 208 games; a 56th draw, then? Kick-off is at 12.30pm. It’s on!
