Everton

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Dominic Calvert-Lewin is at risk of missing weeks of action as a result of his most recent injury - a suspected fractured cheekbone.

Everton fans continue to stress the need for a striker to be brought into the club.

We want to know who specifically? Who is the man who could be realistically bought or loaned? We want names!

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Everton boss Sean Dyche says the club are in a "number of situations" in their pursuit of a striker but has warned "there's no magic wand".

In Sunday's defeat at Aston Villa, the Toffees lost striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to a facial injury.

They continue to be linked with Southampton's Che Adams as they seek solutions in addressing their lack of firepower.

"We are in for a number of situations, whether they can come into fruition, I am waiting on news," said Dyche.

"The first bit of importance is we've got to operate with what we've got. There's no magic wand, there never was when I got the job and there are no shortcuts, because shortcuts in football usually cost a lot of money.

"We are working hard to construct deals that can affect us in a positive way.

"These deals at the minute, I'm waiting for news - any deals, that is not about Che Adams, that is any deals."

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Everton's attacking line could be more of a "problem" this season than their defence.

The Toffees suffered a humbling 4-0 defat to Aston Villa on Sunday, where defensive errors proved to be particularly damaging and left them sitting bottom of the Premier League table after two games of the new season.

The Times football reporter Charlotte Duncker felt the issues were bigger than just the defence however and, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, said: "I think one of their biggest problems is creativity and scoring goals. If you take away the disastrous defensive mistakes, where were their goals coming from?

"Their midfield was weak, up front Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a bang to the face and had blurred vision so had to go off, Maupay comes on in the second half and he's had 28 games without a goal, he's not going to suddenly pop up and score you two or three goals in a game. They just look lacking in skill all over the pitch and looked really really poor.

"It was a really bad day at the office for Everton."

Former Tottenham midfielder and current Manchester United under-21s player-coach Tom Huddlestone agreed, adding: "Like a lot of teams you're looking at Everton and thinking where are the goals going to come from? Because the majority of Sean Dyche's teams are really strong and organised at the back but they're not looking like that at the moment.

"Then they're also looking toothless in attack, so it's going to be a long season for those Everton fans."

Listen to the full discussion from 23'45" on BBC Sounds

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Martin Keown, MOTD2 pundit

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is criticised by Everton fans because of his injury record but I think he is an excellent player who was immensely unlucky to get hurt against Aston Villa.

Calvert-Lewin was very brave, almost too brave really, to attack the ball in the box the way he did and I think anyone who questions him should remember that - and the fact that he didn't want to come off afterwards.

He played on despite having a swelling like you would see in a comic strip and eventually it was clear he could not continue.

Most of the time players get injuries that are not visible, but you could certainly see this one. He tried everything to play on, but he shouldn't really have been allowed to stay on for as long as he did.

Without him, Everton lacked a focal point in their attack, although I did think Arnaut Danjuma ran the channels well when he came on.

However, Sean Dyche clearly needs reinforcements and he was already trying to strengthen his attack before the Villa game.

He is in talks with Southampton striker Che Adams and is reportedly trying to sign Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto too. Both of those players are in the Championship, but that's where Everton are shopping right now because they don't have much money to spend.

The Toffees certainly cannot go out and buy expensive players to try and turn things around, so they're going to have to rely on hard work again to make that happen.

Read the full article here

We asked for your views on Sunday's game between Aston Villa and Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Aston Villa fans

Reg: Last week the injury to Tyrone left our defence all over the place, today there was confidence and togetherness. Everton are not the best team we will meet but I think we have a squad that can take on and beat any team in the Premier League.

David: 4-0 flatters us in terms of effort and intensity. Everton’s poor defending gifted us goals. There would have been more there if we’d attacked with purpose more often, instead of complacently strolling through boring ‘keep-ball’ practice at the back, especially when we so often lost the ball and played ourselves into trouble.

Terry: Played well and dominated a game sadly disrupted by several injuries to players on both sides. Game fizzled out as a spectacle in the last 20 mins as Villa cruised. Everton look to be in big trouble again this season.

Nick Solid and creative performance against a side who look like they are going to struggle again. Drifted off the pace for a couple of spells but hard to complain. Gutted to see Coutinho go down with what looks another injury. Whether he's leaving or staying that's more bad news for Emery.

Everton fans

Gerald: Absolutely woeful, Patterson tried hard but as for the rest, they need to take a long, hard look at themselves. Shameful effort, there has to be more quality than what we've seen today. I am gutted and I hope the players feel the same.

Peter: Absolutely diabolical. No heart, no skill, not fit to pull the jersey on. Championship here we come.

Simon: Much is made of a lack of goalscorers, but Everton's midfield is absolutely woeful. Onana is a disgrace, Gana too slow and not physical enough, Iwobi not good enough and the same applies to Doucoure. If the engine room does not set the tone then everything is laboured and predictable. I will give Dyche until the end of September.

Bob: I am completely at a loss how a huge club like Everton have been allowed to sink so low. I have supported them for 45 years, but I can’t remember such dire times. We must blame the club's top management for years. It is fine to go for a new stadium, but it won’t be fine if we are playing in lower leagues there.

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Former Arsenal Defender Martin Keown was critical of Everton's mentality in their 4-0 loss to Aston Villa on Match of the Day 2: "It’s about basic defending, I think they were wrong tactically but you can talk about tactics until the cows come home.

"The edge just isn’t there. You’ve got to be in that match mode and he [Sean Dyche] just couldn’t get that from his players today, but I’m convinced he’ll get it right.

"Everton looked rudderless today. This is the same Everton that blew Brighton away at the back end of last season with a similar plan, but today didn’t seem to have the same purpose about them."

"I think they understood their roles and responsibilities better that day. Today I wasn’t convinced at any point that they did."

Catch up with the full Match of the day episode here

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Martin Keown, MOTD2 pundit

It was worrying to see exactly how bad Everton were at some of the basics in their 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Sunday.

Afterwards, when Toffees manager Sean Dyche talked about how his team had lacked sharpness, I felt he was maybe questioning their mental toughness, but everything about their performance appeared incredibly naive.

Even when Villa were three goals up and the game was gone, I still wanted to see the Everton players fight to keep the scoreline down, but it seemed to me that message was not getting through.

I was left wondering where their leaders were - I couldn't believe this was the same group of players that went to Brighton at the end of last season and played magnificently to win 5-1.

Against the Seagulls, Everton played a little bit deeper but they were compact and solid and when they got the ball they attacked with real energy and exploded forward. Their reward was a spectacular result that went a long way to keeping them in the Premier League.

Eight of the players who started that game began this one too, but this time it was far too easy to play through them.

Again, they got what they deserved - but this time it was a painful defeat.

Read the full article here

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BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty said Everton went down "without a shred of heart or fight" against Aston Villa.

Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Villa Park meant the Toffees ended the weekend bottom of the Premier League for the first time since 2010.

McNulty said: "Aston Villa up and running against compliant, abysmal Everton.

"Big concern for Dyche is for his side to go down without a shred of heart or fight in only the second game of the season.

"Nothing learned and nothing changed at the top of the club despite successive relegation near misses."

Mark Chapman introduces highlights and analysis of Sunday's Premier League fixtures, showing Aston Villa's 4-0 thumping over Everton and West Ham's 3-1 win over Chelsea.

If you missed match of the Day 2 then fear not- you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer here.

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Everton's start to the Premier League season "wouldn't inspire" Che Adams to join the club according to BBC Radio Solent sport editor Adam Blackmore.

The Toffees have lost both of their first two matches of a league season while also not scoring in either game for only a third time in the club’s history, after 1952-53 in the second tier and 1955-56 in the top-flight.

Blackmore posted on Twitter:, external "Wow, Everton are so bad - if Che Adams is watching this it wouldn’t inspire him to head there in a hurry and I hope it puts him off.

"I know there is the valid argument that you back yourself to improve a side when you sign for them - but Everton need more than a hard-working striker

"He’s more likely to suffer like Neal Maupay up there in my opinion."

Telegraph journalist Jim White says it's "bargain basement time" for Everton but told The Transfer Gossip Daily podcast that Che Adams is a "good honest pro" as the Toffees close in on the Southampton forward: "It’s been there in the stars from the moment that Che was born because his middle name is Everton.

"Goals is what they are hoping for. They haven’t got anyone to score. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is their only forward and he is perpetually injured.

"Adams in the Premier League last season scored five goals in 28 matches. He’s already got three in three in the Championship.

"Basically Everton are in a really difficult situation because they can’t spend big money and they need to get virtually a whole new team. It’s bargain basement time and Adams is a good honest pro."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Everton are closing in on the £15m signing of Southampton's Scotland forward Che Adams, 27. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab have reached a verbal agreement with Everton to sign 27-year-old Jamaica winger Demarai Gray (Fabrizio Romano), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Shamoon Hafez, BBC Sport at Villa Park

Everton escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth on the final day of last season and the early signs suggest this could be another season of struggle for the Toffees.

They have lost both their opening games without scoring to sink to the bottom of the table.

Beaten by Fulham in their first game having missed numerous chances, Everton were demolished by Villa who took full advantage of defensive lapses on a scorching day in the Midlands.

Stricken striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was fit to start but lasted only 36 minutes as he came off with a facial injury sustained earlier in the game during a collision with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Arnaut Danjuma looked lively after coming on for Calvert-Lewin, but missed a golden chance on the stroke of half-time when his low shot was kept out by Martinez, the best opportunity the visitors managed to fashion.

Up next for Everton is a huge match next Saturday against fellow winless side Wolves, who have also lost both of their games so far.

Everton manager Sean Dyche to MOTD: "We will study the game tomorrow with the players. It was a tough day in the sense they were better than us. Sometimes that happens. They had more edge to their performance.

"We started OK, really soft goals and that changed the feel of the stadium and the feel of our performance.

"Too many mistakes get punished but overall I won't make any excuses, they were far better than us today.

"That was not good enough, it was way off where we want to be, way off the consistency we need.

"They had just been punished themselves, they reacted and we need to react ourselves. We were miles off it today."

• Aston Villa have won eight consecutive home Premier League games, their longest home league winning run since February 1990 (run of 9).

• Everton have lost both of their first two matches of a league season while also not scoring in either game for only a third time in the club’s history, after 1952-53 in the second tier and 1955-56 in the top-flight.

• Villa have now won their opening home game in each of the last four Premier League seasons, while this was their biggest margin of victory in their home opener in the league since 1976-77 v West Ham (also 4-0).

• All six of Leon Bailey's Premier League goals for Villa have been at Villa Park, the joint-most a player has scored in the competition with 100% coming at the same stadium.

• Since his Everton debut in August 2017, no goalkeeper has given away more penalties in the Premier League than Jordan Pickford (5, level with Ben Foster).

Aston Villa recovered from their opening Premier League thrashing at Newcastle by thumping woeful Everton 4-0 at Villa Park.

Unai Emery's Villa were heavily beaten 5-1 last weekend but got their campaign up and running at home with Leon Bailey having a hand in two goals.

Fine work from the fleet-footed winger allowed him to create the opener for skipper John McGinn, who clipped home a first-time finish from close range.

The hosts doubled their lead on 24 minutes courtesy of Douglas Luiz's penalty after the referee adjudged Jordan Pickford to have brought down Ollie Watkins in the box.

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