Everton vs Aston Villa LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Buendia heads home Digne’s corner

3 mins: Richarlison presses into the Villa box but the ball is given to Tyrone Mings who boots it long up the pitch. The Everton centre-backs are caught on their heels as the ball bounces over the top of them and Ollie Watkins breaks through the lines. Luckily Jordan Pickford is aware of the danger and comes sprinting out to grab the ball before Watkins can reach it.

Kick off: Aston Villa get the game started with a long ball over to the right side. It’s won in the air and headed up to Richarlison for Everton. He drives the ball down the left wing and is fouled by John McGinn.

Everton’s free kick is swung up to the penalty area by Andre Gomes but Emi Martinez comes off his line to claim the ball in the air.

Here come the teams. Lucas Digne walks out onto the pitch with his new club to face his old one. Yerry Mina leads out Everton to a big cheer. There’s a feeling of rejuvenation around Goodison Park today, can that transfer onto the pitch for the Toffees?

Kick off is next...

Despite Everton’s poor form this should be a close game. The Toffees have the advantage of playing at Goodison Park and will probably see a new manager boost. Duncan Ferguson has named an experienced line-up and with Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin once again partnering up top they’ve got firepower to challenge the Aston Villa defence.

For their part Villa have been playing some entertaining football under Steven Gerrard. John McGinn is back to control their midfield and with Philippe Coutinho in the forward line there’s star quality for them in the final third.

This should be a good one.

Duncan Ferguson made sure the first round was on him as he treated Everton fans to a free pint before taking charge of the team’s Premier League match against Aston Villa on Saturday, according to reports.

The former Everton striker has replaced Rafael Benitez in the Everton dugout after the former Liverpool boss was sacked after just six months, with the club on a miserable run of form and 16th in the Premier League table.

Ferguson has been appointed caretaker manager “for the club’s upcoming games” and has urged his players to fight for the Goodison Park crowd.

Danny Ings has scored five Premier League goals versus Everton, his joint-best record against any club but he starts on the Aston Villa bench today.

Everton have the worst first-half record in the Premier League for 2021-22 and the Toffees have let in 13 goals in their last five Premier League games at Goodison Park.

Can Duncan Ferguson turn around Everton’s fortunes today?

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has written to supporters, asking for patience in a “difficult season” and reaffirming his commitment to the club cause.

The Toffees sit 16th in the Premier League table with three defeats in their last four games and just one league win since September, which culminated in the sacking of Rafa Benitez as manager at the start of the week.

Add in a questionable recruitment strategy, the departure of director of football Marcel Brands, the sale of fan favourite Lucas Digne and defeat to then-bottom club Norwich City and it has been a thoroughly testing period for the Goodison Park faithful, leading to Moshiri explaining the ongoing process to find a new head coach and reassuring fans that he wouldn’t be withdrawing any financial support.

Everton have scored a league-low five first-half goals, while they have failed to score before half-time in their last five games in the Premier League.

The Toffees have conceded the first goal in 16 of their 22 fixtures this season, including the last eight league games, which is a club record in the competition.

Only twice previously have Everton had fewer than their current 19 points after 19 games of a Premier League campaign - 17 in both 1997-98 and 2005-06.

Everton’s return of 12 clean sheets last season ranked them joint-fifth in the Premier League. They have kept just three this season, ranking them 18th.