Garner: Moyes did not return to Everton to fight relegation

David Moyes did not return to Everton to be involved in a relegation battle, according to James Garner.

Since stumbling against Leeds United in their opening game, momentum has quickly shifted in a positive direction for Everton, with Jack Grealish playing a central role.

The Toffees have won their last three in all competitions, beating Brighton 2-0, easing past Mansfield Town in the EFL Cup, and then earning a 3-2 win in a lively clash at Wolves.

Everton then added to their squad on deadline day, bringing their total number of summer recruits to nine with the acquisition of Merlin Rohl from Freiburg.

Next up for Everton is a clash with Aston Villa on Saturday, with the visitors having taken just a point from the nine on offer so far this season.

And Garner, who scored a stunner in Everton's win over Brighton, claims that Moyes, who rejoined the club in January, is set on returning Everton to the upper echelons of the Premier League.

"He said to us on day one that he’s not come here to take over a team that’s fighting against relegation – he said it again on day one of pre-season," said Garner.

"He sets high standards and we know where we want to be. We’ve got a few more faces in over the summer and with the quality we have in the squad now, we all agree with the manager – if you want to achieve big things, then you’ve got to set your standards and your goals high.

"I think you can see it in us. There is a mentality shift. We’re playing with more confidence, going into games thinking how we are going to take all three points, it’s not just surviving."

Villa, meanwhile, will hope to change the narrative after their early season struggles. They brought in Harvey Elliott, Jadon Sancho and Victor Lindelof on deadline day, capping off what had been a difficult transfer window.

That boost is much needed, as Villa are still searching for their first Premier League goal of the campaign, after opening with a goalless draw against Newcastle United before suffering a 1-0 loss to Brentford and a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Ezri Konsa missed the loss to Brentford due to suspension, and though he was involved in that chastening loss to Palace, the centre-back comes into this clash on the back of scoring his first England goal this week.

"You always dream about these moments and when I was young, I always pictured it, trying to score for England," Konsa said of getting off the mark for the Three Lions.

"For it to finally happen, and my whole family watching back home, it was a proud moment, and a night I’ll never, ever forget."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Everton – Jack Grealish

Grealish has enjoyed a new lease of life since making the switch to Merseyside from Manchester City in the summer, and he will now get the chance to go up against his boyhood club, who he departed to join Pep Guardiola's side in a £100m transfer four years ago.

The playmaker has assisted two goals in both of his last two Premier League appearances – the first ever Everton player to achieve this, and as many times as he had recorded more than one assist in his first 191 appearances in the competition beforehand.

No player in Premier League history has ever assisted two or more goals in three successive matches.

Aston Villa – Harvey Elliott

Elliott could make his first appearance for Villa, having been involved in seven goals across his last seven Premier League starts for Liverpool (two goals, five assists), providing an assist in five of those matches.

The last Villa player to record an assist on his league debut was Leon Bailey in August 2021.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Everton are without a win in their last 12 Premier League meetings with Villa since the Villans' return to the top flight in 2019-20 (drawing three and losing nine), with their last victory coming in March 2016, a 3-1 win at Villa Park.

Villa have taken four wins from their past five league trips to Everton, keeping clean sheets in each of the last four — their longest run of away shutouts against a single opponent.

Since the beginning of May, Everton have collected more Premier League points than any other side (16 – winning five, drawing one, and losing one), while only Liverpool (14) have scored more goals than the Toffees (13).

Everton have now won five of their last six league matches, matching their total from the 21 games prior. The Toffees are aiming to secure three consecutive home league wins for the first time since May 2024, when they achieved a run of five.

Emery's team have started a league campaign without scoring in their first three matches for only the second time in the club’s history, the last occurrence being in 1997-98.

In Premier League history, only four teams have gone four or more games at the start of a season without a goal: Sheffield Wednesday in 1993-94, Newcastle in 2005-06, Swansea in 2011-12 (all four games), and Palace in 2017-18 (seven games).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Everton – 34.5%

Draw – 25.9%

Aston Villa - 39.6%