Dugout Discussion

Aston Villa v Everton team news: Martinez + Buendia start

18 January 2026 371 comments
avfc82 avfc82
Share:

The penultimate match of Gameweek 22 sees Aston Villa take on Everton at Villa Park.

Unai Emery’s men have won eight league matches in a row on home turf, and could climb up to second in the table with a point today.  

Kick-off is at 16:30 GMT.

TEAM NEWS

Emery makes four changes from the goalless draw with Crystal Palace in Gameweek 21.

Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen, Lamare Bogarde and Emiliano Buendia come into the starting XI.

Victor Lindelof and Lucas Digne drop to the bench, while Boubacar Kamara is injured and Jadon Sancho misses out due to illness.

Emiliano Martinez starts in goal despite missing last week’s FA Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur with a calf issue.

Michael Keane serves game two of a three-match ban for Everton, with Nathan Patterson his replacement.

Further forward, Merlin Rohl comes in for the injured Tim Iroegbunam.

Elsewhere, Jack Grealish is back in the starting line-up after serving his one-match suspension in the FA Cup.

LINE-UPS

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Pau, Maatsen, Bogarde, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Buendia, Watkins

Subs: Bizot, Wright, Lindelof, Digne, Garcia, Mings, Hemmings, Guessand, Jimoh-Aloba

Everton XI: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko, Garner, Rohl, McNeil, Armstrong, Grealish, Barry

Subs: Travers, King, Beto, Dibling, Coleman, Aznou, Welch, Campbell

LIVE GAMEWEEK PAGE!

New to Fantasy Football Scout this season is the Live Gameweek page, which you can see on the side menu.

Here you can follow the scores, watch the defensive contribution (DefCon) points roll in, see who the leading players are for xG and more as the games play out, as seen below:

Introducing The Eye Test 2
371 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Effe
    • 15 Years
    1 hour, 55 mins ago

    I’d LOVE a Watkins goal here

    Open Controls
    1. Tomerick
      • 11 Years
      1 hour, 54 mins ago

      I will allow it if Cash assists.

      Open Controls
      1. Effe
        • 15 Years
        1 hour, 51 mins ago

        Deal 🙂

        Open Controls
    2. Mom, Butters just gave me a…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      1 hour, 51 mins ago

      He just had a shot on target.

      Open Controls
  2. JBG
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 54 mins ago

    Garner the YC gem

    Open Controls
  3. Supersonic_
    • 4 Years
    1 hour, 53 mins ago

    How am I looking for medium to long term?

    Verb
    Gab Andersen Gabriel
    Rice Palmer Rogers Bruno F
    Kroupi Thiago Haaland

    Dub Szob Richards Hincapie

    May Start Szob ahead of Kroupi, but lad has been useless for me. Can't wait to get rid.

    Szob to become Enzo soon.
    Will take finds out of Hincapie soon too.

    Open Controls
    1. Supersonic_
      • 4 Years
      1 hour, 53 mins ago

      Funds*

      Open Controls
    2. Boxwoods
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      1 hour, 51 mins ago

      Double Gab good biz.

      Open Controls
      1. Supersonic_
        • 4 Years
        1 hour, 46 mins ago

        What a train wreck... here we go, this actually includes 15 players and no duplicates...

        Verb
        Thiaw Gab Andersen
        Palmer Rogers Bruno F Rice
        Kroupi Thiago Haaland

        Dub Szob Richards Hincapie

        Open Controls
  4. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 53 mins ago

    Tilly sleeping

    Open Controls
  5. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 53 mins ago

    Garner row Z

    Open Controls
  6. Vasshin
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 53 mins ago

    5ft and 4 city players, gordon, bowen(bench)

    1. Don’t make any transfers this week
    2. Foden to Bruno now
    3. Wait until champions league to transfer Foden to Bruno
    4. Wait until Friday and do Foden to Bruno, Gordon to Enzo
    5. Wait until Friday and do Foden to Bruno, Gordon to Palmer, Bowen to Mane or kroupi(bench)

    Open Controls
    1. Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      1 hour, 50 mins ago

      I haven't been keeping up with price changes. If 2 saves you money, do it now.

      Otherwise wait. I'd use the FTs to remove Foden rather than burn it even if it's WOL. They have not looked bad lately.

      Open Controls
  7. Camzy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    1 hour, 52 mins ago

    These games though... It's like half the teams in the league have forgotten how to score.

    Open Controls
  8. Philosopher's Stones
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 52 mins ago

    Super Sunday, eh....

    Open Controls
    1. JBG
      • 7 Years
      1 hour, 50 mins ago

      Meh even Saturday matches, barring MU - MC, was a borefest imo.

      Open Controls
  9. Mr. O'Connell
    • 13 Years
    1 hour, 52 mins ago

    Really need this Keane clean sheet

    Open Controls
    1. Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      1 hour, 49 mins ago

      🙁 My first sub. Could have really done with him this week after Nunes' no-show. Instead I got Heaven's 1 pt from 1 min.

      Open Controls
  10. BeaversWithAttitude
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 50 mins ago

    Geez – like watching paint dry for four hours...

    Open Controls
    1. Deer-in-headlights
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 48 mins ago

      Think of it as meditation.

      Open Controls
  11. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 11 Years
    1 hour, 48 mins ago

    save transfer and reassess gw24 with maybe wc(unlikely though)?

    pope (dub)
    gab chalobah dorgu (hall alderete)
    saka rice foden bruno g
    haaland (c) thiago bowen

    benching hall as not keen on dle newcastle def home to villa. might change my mind in 45 mins...

    cheers and gl

    Open Controls
  12. denial
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    1 hour, 48 mins ago

    He's just pushed him over there ffs

    Open Controls
  13. jacob1989
    • 3 Years
    1 hour, 47 mins ago

    Played rogers and Watkins. Benched tarkowski.. what a mistake

    Open Controls
    1. *Reformed-Character*
      • 8 Years
      1 hour, 46 mins ago

      Didn't realise the game had finished....

      Open Controls
    2. Mom, Butters just gave me a…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      1 hour, 45 mins ago

      I played all three.

      Should have left Tark on the bench for Dorgu.

      What a mistake.

      Open Controls
  14. JBG
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 47 mins ago

    Everton G

    Open Controls
  15. F4L
    • 11 Years
    1 hour, 47 mins ago

    brilliant finish

    Open Controls
  16. Effe
    • 15 Years
    1 hour, 47 mins ago

    Everyone goal

    Open Controls
    1. Effe
      • 15 Years
      1 hour, 46 mins ago

      Everton even!

      Open Controls
  17. jacob1989
    • 3 Years
    1 hour, 47 mins ago

    Lol martinez. Barry scores.

    Open Controls
  18. Mom, Butters just gave me a…
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    1 hour, 46 mins ago

    Barry was on the pitch?

    Open Controls
  19. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 46 mins ago

    Villa busted by Barry

    Open Controls
  20. Tomerick
    • 11 Years
    1 hour, 46 mins ago

    They let Barry score…

    Open Controls
  21. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    1 hour, 46 mins ago

    Thats not good
    Trip Villa

    Open Controls
  22. jacob1989
    • 3 Years
    1 hour, 45 mins ago

    Football is only fun if errors are made. Gk and defender blunders gift everton a goal

    Open Controls
    1. Mom, Butters just gave me a…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      1 hour, 43 mins ago

      No football is fun when a team.plays like ManU yesterday..

      Open Controls
  23. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    1 hour, 45 mins ago

    3 defensive mistakes in one attack needed for Everton to score a goal.

    Open Controls
  24. JBG
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 44 mins ago

    Players physically better (apparently) and technically better (apparently), but the speed of todays football is played at walking pace. It's such a shame.

    Open Controls
    1. jacob1989
      • 3 Years
      1 hour, 42 mins ago

      Its bcoz one team parks the bus and not enough space

      Open Controls
  25. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
    • 9 Years
    1 hour, 44 mins ago

    Martinez has always been a joker!

    Open Controls
  26. jacob1989
    • 3 Years
    1 hour, 43 mins ago

    Arsenal basically just need to draw some games to win the title. Nobody else wants the title

    Open Controls
  27. Big_Andy_GAWA
    • 14 Years
    1 hour, 43 mins ago

    I don't understand what constitutes as a defensive contribution. I saw Cash having two tackles and his DC of '3' didn't increase.

    Open Controls
    1. jacob1989
      • 3 Years
      1 hour, 41 mins ago

      I still dont understand. Seems random.

      Open Controls
    2. Brosstan
      • 11 Years
      1 hour, 41 mins ago

      Unless your team gains possession it doesnt count as a successful tackle. A tackle on the side that just gives the opponent a throw in doesnt count for instance.

      Open Controls
  28. FantasyTony
    • 8 Years
    1 hour, 43 mins ago

    Villa might have PL points on the board but I don’t see any appeal for FPL.

    Open Controls
  29. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 42 mins ago

    Rogers raging

    Open Controls
    1. FantasyTony
      • 8 Years
      1 hour, 42 mins ago

      Must have captained himself

      Open Controls
    2. Philosopher's Stones
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 39 mins ago

      Against the machine?

      Open Controls
  30. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 40 mins ago

    Rogers wtaf

    Open Controls

You need to be logged in to post a comment.