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EVERTONPossessionAston Villa 50%Everton 50%Attempts on targetAston Villa 0Everton 0Attempts off targetAston Villa 0Everton 0CornersAston Villa 0Everton 0FoulsAston Villa 0Everton 0Barclays Premier LeagueVenue: Villa Park Date: Wednesday, 14 April 2010 Kick-off: 1945 BSTCoverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live & BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8 FM, 1485 MW and DAB
TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has key players Richard Dunne and James Milner available despite on-going Achilles problems.Nigel Reo-Coker has recovered from a serious ankle injury and could be named in the squad after a 14-week absence.
Everton's influential midfielder Mikel Arteta misses his third successive match with a groin strain.
Jospeh Yobo, who missed the draw against West Ham with a back complaint, has been passed fit.
Aston Villa
Doubtful: Reo-Coker (ankle) Injured: Harewood (foot)
Everton
Injured: Anichebe (hip), Arteta (groin), Fellaini (ankle), Gosling (knee)
MATCH PREVIEWOut of luck and out on their feet, Aston Villa face an Everton side determined to prise them out of a place in Europe.
Our desire (for European qualification) is very strong. After the disappointments in the final and semi-final, it will make us even stronger
Villa are on course for their third consecutive top-six finish, and have yet to give up on Champions League qualification, but it remains to be seen whether they will be driven or deflated by a sense of injustice.
Manager Martin O'Neill railed against "incontestable decisions" not given his side's way during Saturday's FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea; it was another Wembley defeat in contentious circumstances for Villa, who had suffered a previous refereeing blunder in the Carling Cup final six weeks earlier.
While O'Neill is understandably sore, some of his players must be physically so after playing in nearly every game this season. They will need to apply mind over matter against in-form Everton, who are four points adrift.
Everton have finished fifth, one place ahead of O'Neill's side, in each of the last two seasons. Should they eclipse Villa once more, a place in the Europa League beckons for the Merseysiders. For Villa, who have not been out of the top seven since September, failure to qualify for Europe would compound a frustrating season.
MATCH FACTSHead-to-head
• This is the most-played fixture in the English top flight. Villa have 71 wins to Everton's 70 from the previous 189 league meetings.
• Villa are unbeaten in their last seven league games against Everton (W3, D4).
• Everton's only league victory at Villa Park in the last 21 attempts was a 3-1 success in February 2005.
Aston Villa
• Villa have won four and drawn half of their 14 league matches since Christmas.
• They have only won one league game in each month of 2010 so far.
• The 5-2 victory over Burnley in February is Villa's only home win in seven attempts. They have drawn five of the last six games at Villa Park.
• John Carew has scored in his last four league matches against Everton.
Everton
• Everton are unbeaten in their last six matches (W3, D3). David Moyes won the Barclays Manager of the Month award for March, his second such prize in three months.
• They have accrued 28 points from 14 games since the turn of the year, which is the best record outside of the current top three sides.
• Everton have gained 14 points from losing positions this season, second only to Chelsea.
• Leading scorer Louis Saha is enduring his worst barren spell of the season, having failed to score in his last seven appearances.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Aston Villa
Carew: 15 goals (8 league); Agbonlahor: 14 goals (11 league)
Everton
Saha: 15 goals (13 league);Cahill: 7 goals (5 league); Pienaar: 7 goals (4 league)
MATCH OFFICIALSReferee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant referees: David Richardson & Phil Sharp
Fourth official: Tony Bates
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPSAston Villa (W1-0 v Bolton, a): Friedel; Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, A Young, Petrov, Delph (Sidwell 75), Downing, Carew (Heskey 70), Agbonlahor. Subs not used: Guzan, L Young, Milner, Delfouneso, Beye.
Everton (D2-2 v West Ham, h): Howard; Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Pienaar, Osman (Rodwell 83), Heitinga, Cahill, Bilyaletdinov (Yakubu 65), Saha. Subs not used: Turner, Hibbert, Senderos, Duffy, Wallace.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Everton scorer: Bilyaletdinov 45
Aston Villa scorer: Carew 47This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has key players Richard Dunne and James Milner available despite on-going Achilles problems.Nigel Reo-Coker has recovered from a serious ankle injury and could be named in the squad after a 14-week absence.
Everton's influential midfielder Mikel Arteta misses his third successive match with a groin strain.
Jospeh Yobo, who missed the draw against West Ham with a back complaint, has been passed fit.
Aston Villa
Doubtful: Reo-Coker (ankle) Injured: Harewood (foot)
Everton
Injured: Anichebe (hip), Arteta (groin), Fellaini (ankle), Gosling (knee)
MATCH PREVIEWOut of luck and out on their feet, Aston Villa face an Everton side determined to prise them out of a place in Europe.
Our desire (for European qualification) is very strong. After the disappointments in the final and semi-final, it will make us even stronger
Villa are on course for their third consecutive top-six finish, and have yet to give up on Champions League qualification, but it remains to be seen whether they will be driven or deflated by a sense of injustice.
Manager Martin O'Neill railed against "incontestable decisions" not given his side's way during Saturday's FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea; it was another Wembley defeat in contentious circumstances for Villa, who had suffered a previous refereeing blunder in the Carling Cup final six weeks earlier.
While O'Neill is understandably sore, some of his players must be physically so after playing in nearly every game this season. They will need to apply mind over matter against in-form Everton, who are four points adrift.
Everton have finished fifth, one place ahead of O'Neill's side, in each of the last two seasons. Should they eclipse Villa once more, a place in the Europa League beckons for the Merseysiders. For Villa, who have not been out of the top seven since September, failure to qualify for Europe would compound a frustrating season.
MATCH FACTSHead-to-head
• This is the most-played fixture in the English top flight. Villa have 71 wins to Everton's 70 from the previous 189 league meetings.
• Villa are unbeaten in their last seven league games against Everton (W3, D4).
• Everton's only league victory at Villa Park in the last 21 attempts was a 3-1 success in February 2005.
Aston Villa
• Villa have won four and drawn half of their 14 league matches since Christmas.
• They have only won one league game in each month of 2010 so far.
• The 5-2 victory over Burnley in February is Villa's only home win in seven attempts. They have drawn five of the last six games at Villa Park.
• John Carew has scored in his last four league matches against Everton.
Everton
• Everton are unbeaten in their last six matches (W3, D3). David Moyes won the Barclays Manager of the Month award for March, his second such prize in three months.
• They have accrued 28 points from 14 games since the turn of the year, which is the best record outside of the current top three sides.
• Everton have gained 14 points from losing positions this season, second only to Chelsea.
• Leading scorer Louis Saha is enduring his worst barren spell of the season, having failed to score in his last seven appearances.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Aston VillaCarew: 15 goals (8 league); Agbonlahor: 14 goals (11 league)
EvertonSaha: 15 goals (13 league);Cahill: 7 goals (5 league); Pienaar: 7 goals (4 league)
MATCH OFFICIALSReferee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant referees: David Richardson & Phil Sharp
Fourth official: Tony Bates
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPSAston Villa (W1-0 v Bolton, a): Friedel; Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, A Young, Petrov, Delph (Sidwell 75), Downing, Carew (Heskey 70), Agbonlahor. Subs not used: Guzan, L Young, Milner, Delfouneso, Beye.
Everton (D2-2 v West Ham, h): Howard; Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Pienaar, Osman (Rodwell 83), Heitinga, Cahill, Bilyaletdinov (Yakubu 65), Saha. Subs not used: Turner, Hibbert, Senderos, Duffy, Wallace.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Everton scorer: Bilyaletdinov 45
Aston Villa scorer: Carew 47This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.