Aston Villa host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday following the international break.
Several Aston Villa players were in action for their countries during the break and travelling to all corners of the world.
Emi Martinez and Jhon Duran both clashed as Colombia got the better of Argentina in a World Cup qualifier while in the UEFA Nations League, Lucas Digne’s France were victors against Belgium duo Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans.
Unai Emery hopes his players return to Villa Park in peak condition as they host Everton, a side who have lost their opening three games.
The Villans boast a flawless recent record against the Toffees, as following their promotion back to the Premier League in 2019, they’re unbeaten in 10 matches.
Paul Merson shares Aston Villa vs Everton score prediction
Unsurprisingly, both Roy Keane and Ian Wright think that Aston Villa will beat Everton this weekend and Paul Merson has echoed a similar sentiment but has fired a warning to Emery in the Champions League.
Merson believes that once they commence action in Europe’s elite competition, it could pose a ‘problem’ as they could lose focus in the Premier League, with Villa travelling to Young Boys on Tuesday.
“I can’t see anything but a win for Villa here,” Merson wrote in his column for Sportskeeda. “Two weeks ago, Everton were 2-0 up and I thought they were comfortably beating Bournemouth in that game.
“I couldn’t believe it when they lost 3-2 in the end and it sums up Everton at the moment. I still think they’ll avoid relegation this season, but it’s not going to be straightforward and this game is a tough one.
“Villa are a good team. They were unlucky against Arsenal. The problem is when they start the Champions League, where they have some good games to look forward to. So it is important they don’t lose focus in the league and they cannot afford to get distracted this weekend. That’s the only challenge for them now, but then again, Everton don’t have enough in them to keep Villa quiet.”
Aston Villa’s favourable upcoming fixtures
Following the visit of Everton, the Villans travel to Young Boys on Tuesday evening before hosting Wolves and visiting Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
Emery will be targeting four wins from their upcoming games, as the Spaniards’ squad gets a taste of how well his side can rotate across multiple competitions.
For the Villans to challenge for the top four once more, they must be targeting maximum points from their next three league games while in the Champions League, a strong start is imperative.
Hopefully, the upcoming period can be a fruitful one for Aston Villa, who are looking to build on their six points in the league.
