Everton and Aston Villa are two of the oldest and most respected clubs in English football. They were both founder members of the Football League in 1888, and their meetings have produced cup finals, dramatic comebacks and long unbeaten runs. This Everton F.C. vs Aston Villa timeline follows the rivalry from its Victorian beginnings to the most recent Premier League clash in January 2026, and it also shows when the two sides meet next.
How the Rivalry Began: Founding Members of the Football League
The story starts in 1888, when twelve clubs formed the Football League and Everton and Aston Villa were both among them. The two clubs have therefore been playing each other for well over a century. That history has no single defining feud like a local derby. It is a long series of meetings between two big, historic clubs, and their fortunes have taken turns rising and falling along the way.
1897: Villa Win the FA Cup Final and Complete the Double
The first major landmark came on 10 April 1897, when Aston Villa and Everton met in the FA Cup Final at Crystal Palace in London. Villa won 3–2 in front of a crowd of roughly 65,000. Villa took an early lead, Everton hit back to go 2–1 ahead, and Villa scored twice more before half-time to turn the match around. Jimmy Crabtree is generally credited with the winning goal in the 44th minute, although historical sources disagree about who scored some of the other goals.
The result also made history away from the pitch. Results elsewhere that afternoon confirmed Villa as First Division champions, so they won the league and the FA Cup on the same day. That remains a unique achievement in English football.
1977: The League Cup Final That Needed Three Matches
The most dramatic chapter in the timeline is the 1977 League Cup Final, which took three games to settle. The first match at Wembley on 12 March ended 0–0. The replay at Hillsborough on 16 March finished 1–1 after extra time, with Roger Kenyon’s own goal for Villa answered by a last-minute equaliser from Everton’s Bob Latchford.
The second replay took place at Old Trafford on 13 April and finished 3–2 to Villa after extra time. Latchford put Everton ahead, and Chris Nicholl equalised with a long-range strike before Brian Little put Villa in front. Mick Lyons then headed in a late equaliser for Everton to force extra time. Little scored again in the closing moments to win the trophy. It was Villa’s third League Cup, which made them the first club to win the competition three times. It was also a cruel result for Everton, who have never won that trophy.
The Premier League Years: 1992 Onwards
Once the Premier League began in 1992, the two clubs met twice a season, and the results tended to run in streaks. The mid-2010s were an Everton-friendly period. In the 2014–15 season, Everton beat Villa 3–0 in October 2014, but Villa won 3–2 in May 2015. Everton then won 4–0 in November 2015, which is often quoted as their biggest recent win in the fixture, and 3–1 at Villa Park in March 2016. Villa were relegated at the end of that season.
Villa spent three years outside the top flight and returned to the Premier League in 2019. The 2019–20 season restarted the rivalry with a 2–0 Villa win in August 2019 and a 1–1 draw at Goodison Park in July 2020. The following season Villa won 2–1 at Goodison Park on 1 May 2021, and the sides drew 0–0 at Villa Park two weeks later.
Recent Results: The Modern Timeline (2021–2026)
The last ten league meetings show how one-sided the rivalry became before Everton’s recent breakthrough. The table below lists them from oldest to newest.
| Date | Home team | Score | Away team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep 2021 | Aston Villa | 3–0 | Everton |
| 22 Jan 2022 | Everton | 0–1 | Aston Villa |
| 13 Aug 2022 | Aston Villa | 2–1 | Everton |
| 25 Feb 2023 | Everton | 0–2 | Aston Villa |
| 20 Aug 2023 | Aston Villa | 4–0 | Everton |
| 14 Jan 2024 | Everton | 0–0 | Aston Villa |
| 14 Sep 2024 | Aston Villa | 3–2 | Everton |
| 15 Jan 2025 | Everton | 0–1 | Aston Villa |
| 13 Sep 2025 | Everton | 0–0 | Aston Villa |
| 18 Jan 2026 | Aston Villa | 0–1 | Everton |
Across those ten games Villa won seven, there were two draws and Everton won once. Several of these matches deserve a closer look.
In February 2023, Villa won 2–0 at Goodison Park. Ollie Watkins scored a penalty to extend his scoring run to five league games in a row, and substitute Emi Buendía sealed the win late on. The result ended Sean Dyche’s perfect home record as Everton manager and left Everton without a win against Villa in eight attempts.
In August 2023, Villa beat Everton 4–0 at Villa Park, the heaviest defeat in the recent run. A month later, in September 2023, Everton got some revenge in the Carabao Cup. They won 2–1 at Villa Park in the third round, with James Garner scoring his first Everton goal and Dominic Calvert-Lewin adding a second before Boubacar Kamara pulled one back for Villa.
The September 2024 game at Villa Park was the most entertaining of the modern era. Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin gave Everton a 2–0 lead inside 27 minutes, but Ollie Watkins scored twice and substitute Jhon Durán struck a brilliant 30-yard winner to make it 3–2 to Villa. It was the second league game in a row in which Everton had thrown away a two-goal lead.
In January 2025, Watkins scored the only goal at Goodison Park in the 51st minute after a through ball from Morgan Rogers. The game marked the return of David Moyes as Everton manager after Sean Dyche’s departure. In September 2025, the two sides drew 0–0 at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium, which was only the second league game staged at the new ground.
January 2026: Everton Finally Break the Run
The latest chapter came at Villa Park on 18 January 2026. Thierno Barry scored the only goal in the 59th minute, capitalising on a defensive mistake involving Pau Torres and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Everton had also had a first-half goal disallowed for offside, when Jake O’Brien headed in but Harrison Armstrong was judged to be interfering.
The result ended Villa’s 11-match winning streak at home and dented their Premier League title challenge, leaving Arsenal seven points clear at the top that weekend. For Everton it was their first league win over Villa since March 2016, ending a long wait in this fixture.
What Comes Next: The 2026–27 Fixtures
The timeline is not finished, because the two clubs meet twice more this season. According to the fixture lists published by both clubs, Aston Villa host Everton at Villa Park on Wednesday 2 December 2026, with a 20:00 kick-off. The return match is due at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Wednesday 6 January 2027, although some ticketing sites list a 5 January date, so fans should confirm the exact day and time on the official club websites in case broadcasters move the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Everton and Aston Villa last play each other? Their most recent meeting was on 18 January 2026 at Villa Park, where Everton won 1–0 thanks to a goal from Thierno Barry.
What was the biggest recent win in the fixture? In the last decade of matches, Aston Villa’s 4–0 victory in August 2023 stands out, while Everton’s 4–0 win in November 2015 was their most convincing result.
Have the clubs met in a cup final? Yes, twice. Villa won the 1897 FA Cup Final 3–2, and they won the 1977 League Cup Final after two replays.
Do the clubs’ all-time head-to-head totals agree everywhere? No, different statistics websites count matches differently, mainly because of which competitions and eras they include, so it is better to trust the individual results above than any single overall tally.
Final Thoughts
The Everton F.C. vs Aston Villa timeline is a story of two founding clubs whose paths have crossed at some of English football’s biggest moments, from the 1897 Double to the three-game 1977 League Cup Final. After years of Villa dominance in the league, Everton’s win in January 2026 has made the rivalry more interesting again heading into the December and January fixtures.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information and entertainment only. It is based on publicly available match records, but statistics can vary between sources, and fixture dates, kick-off times and venues can change. Please check the official Everton and Aston Villa websites or the Premier League for confirmed details before making any plans or purchases.