Austin MacPhee holds the key for Aston Villa against Everton as remarkable stat emerges
Aston Villa could be relying on Austin MacPhee if they are to beat Everton on 13 September.
Villa are set to face Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium as Unai Emery continues his search for a first win and first goal of the campaign.
The Spaniard has had the international break to work on changes at Villa Park, something that was much needed after Villa lost 3-0 to Crystal Palace last time out.
In the hope of turning the tide, it will be interesting to see if the likes of Harvey Elliott or Jadon Sancho make their Villa debut against Everton in attacking areas.
With that in mind, it could be the work of set-piece coach MacPhee that the Villans rely on, as opposed to the new signings, to secure three points on Merseyside.
Austin MacPhee importance highlighted ahead of Everton clash
There is no getting away from the fact that dead-ball situations have represented some of the B6 club’s best chances in recent weeks and months.
This is largely thanks to Villa and Scotland national team coach MacPhee, who has helped transform the claret and blue outfit from set-pieces.
Last season, Villa scored the joint-second most set-piece goals in the Premier League with 16, finishing just one behind Nottingham Forest, who netted 17 under Nuno Espirito Santo.
| Club | Total goals scored | Set-piece goals | |
| 1. | Nottingham Forest | 58 | 17 |
| 2=. | Aston Villa | 58 | 16 |
| 2=. | Crystal Palace | 51 | 16 |
| 4. | Arsenal | 69 | 15 |
This represented 27 per cent of all of Villa’s league goals throughout the campaign, a telling statistic showcasing just how fruitful these opportunities can be.
With that being said, Everton are typically excellent at defending set-pieces, last conceding a goal from a dead-ball situation in February against Brentford.
Last set-piece goal conceded:
- Newcastle United – 23/02/2025
- Everton – 26/02/2025
- Bournemouth – 05/04/2025
- Manchester City – 12/04/2025
- Chelsea – 11/05/2025
As a result, it will be all eyes on MacPhee to find the key that can help to unlock the second most stubborn defence in this statistic, only behind Newcastle United by three days.
Matty Cash could be the difference maker in Aston Villa vs Everton
There has been plenty of frustration aimed towards Cash over the years, but it could be his turn to silence the criticism against him.
This could be the case against the Toffees, with his ability to take a long throw potentially representing a key weapon for Villa and MacPhee.
The Poland international has been known for his launches into the box at Villa Park for many years, something which could come into effect once again, this time on Merseyside.
Everton last conceded a set-piece goal from Yoane Wissa as the Brentford forward took advantage of a scramble inside the box to net for the Bees.
It will be that sort of chaos that Villa need to create, and that could be possible with the talent of Cash and the expertise of MacPhee in the dugout.
Sign up for the Villa News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Aston Villa news sent straight to your phone.