VILLA v TOFFEES NUMBER 210

This weekend’s major Premier League encounter between Aston Villa and Everton at Goodison Park, which is set to be the 210th meeting between the two clubs – the most played fixture in English Football League history. Their League fixtures have only been played in the First Division or the Premier League; no second tier games!!

Unai Emery’s men travel to Merseyside on Saturday (25 February) as they look to overturn a run of three defeats on the bounce against Sean Dyche’s side. Although Emery will likely be well-versed in recent meetings between the two sides in an attempt to gain any extra advantage he can, he will probably not know the wider historical context of this classic fixture. 

Villa and Everton were among the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888, with the Merseyside club racking up an impressive 120 seasons in the top flight from a possible 124, while Villa sitting not far behind with 109 campaigns among the elite. The two sides have met 229 times over their history, in all matches not just League. 

Aston Villa won: 87 Games drawn: 60 Games lost: 82.... Of those games, FA Cup ties = 9; League Cup = 9 (including two leg ties at times!)

It’s also the English League fixture including the most goals scored (645 in total = 324 for Everton, 321 for Villa). Emery’s side would need to win by a four-goal margin at the weekend to overtake the Toffees in the goal tally stats, with the Villans scoring 321 and their Merseyside opponents a total of 324. Supporters will be well aware of some of the blockbuster meetings in the past, with a 3-2 win for Villa in 2008, a six-goal draw the following season, and a 4-0 Boxing Day drubbing for Everton in 2005

The last meeting between the two sides came on March 1, 2016, with Everton emerging as 3-1 victors.

If Villa failed to achieve promotion to the Premier League last season then they would have been joined at the top of the list by Arsenal vs Manchester United. Everton vs Liverpool would have also been contested 202 times at the end of the campaign.

Villa against Everton's English record is dwarfed by Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers, with the Glasgow pair playing a whopping 316 times against each other.

The pair first met each other on September 22, 1888, when a crowd of 4,000 fans watched Villa climb above their opponents into second place in the League with a 2-1 home win. Meanwhile, the most recent meeting was Villa’s 2-1 victory back in August. And on 20 August 2023!!!

Score	3-0 to Aston Villa
Referee	Anthony Taylor
Competition	Premier League
Venue	Villa Park