Everton Starting XI Confirmed with Key Decisions on Ashley Young and Abdoulaye Doucoure for Aston Villa Clash

Everton are back in action on Saturday night as they travel to Aston Villa, hoping to secure their first point of the Premier League season after losing their opening three matches.

However, Villa Park will be a challenging venue to make that happen.

Under Unai Emery, Aston Villa has become one of the top teams in the division, finishing fourth last season and earning a spot in the Champions League.

This match holds extra significance for two players: Amadou Onana and Tim Iroegbunam. Onana moved from Everton to Villa during the summer transfer window, while Iroegbunam made the opposite journey.

Both have had impressive starts to the season and will be keen to perform against their former clubs.

The key question for Everton fans is how manager Sean Dyche will set up the team for what promises to be a difficult encounter.

Below, Joe Thomas and Chris Beesley offer their thoughts on how the Toffees should approach the game.

Joe Thomas This trip will be a tough one, as is often the case when Everton visits Villa Park. However, there are some positives to draw on.

Everton played well for much of their match against Bournemouth, and Villa was the setting for a turning point last season when they won in the Carabao Cup.

That said, the performance may be as important as the result today.

Another collapse could take a serious toll on the club and its supporters.

I would stick with Michael Keane at the back. While the defeats have been frustrating, I don’t believe they have been his fault, and his experience remains valuable.

If Seamus Coleman is not fit enough to play, I would choose Ashley Young at right-back to keep the defense as solid as possible.

In midfield, Abdoulaye Doucoure should start alongside Idrissa Gueye to provide a strong foundation.

This pairing would help Iliman Ndiaye operate further forward and prevent Dominic Calvert-Lewin from becoming isolated. For me, Ndiaye must start to support the attack.

My preferred lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Mykolenko, Tarkowski, Keane, Young; McNeil, Gueye, Doucoure, Harrison; Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin.

Chris Beesley After a disappointing late collapse against Bournemouth and a 4-0 thrashing in their last away game, Everton need to shore up their defense.

Having conceded 10 goals in their first three Premier League matches, a return to the scene of last season’s 4-0 drubbing at Villa Park might not inspire confidence.

Despite this, defensive reinforcements might not arrive in time.

In the 2022/23 season, only Arsenal kept more clean sheets than Everton, but that defensive solidity has been missing so far in this campaign.

It would be a significant boost if Jarrad Branthwaite and Nathan Patterson were fit enough to return to the backline, but Dyche has suggested that neither player is likely to feature.

Everton’s defensive issues are further compounded by Seamus Coleman’s injury during the Republic of Ireland’s 2-0 defeat to England in the UEFA Nations League.

His absence leaves a gap at right-back, which has been a problematic position.

Ashley Young, Everton’s oldest-ever outfield player at 39, started the season at right-back but struggled against Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, who exposed his lack of pace.

Young was sent off for a professional foul in that match, leading to his suspension against Tottenham, where teenager Roman Dixon stepped in for his debut.

Although Dixon acquitted himself well in front of a large crowd in north London, Everton still suffered a 4-0 defeat. The defensive frailties are clear, and without key reinforcements, this trip to Villa Park could be another uphill battle for the Blues.