Everton’s match at Aston Villa postponed

Everton’s Premier League game away to Aston Villa on Sunday, January 17 has been called off.

Villa revealed last Thursday that 14 first team members had tested positive for COVID-19, causing their Bodymoor Heath training ground to shut and senior staff to self-isolate.

It was reported on Wednesday that Villa had requested this postponement from the Premier League, given the lack of preparation time they inevitably would have had for this fixture.

The Premier League have now approved this, saying in a statement:

“Aston Villa’s home match against Everton, scheduled to be played on Sunday 17 January at 12:00 GMT, has been postponed by the Premier League Board.

“Following the rescheduling of Villa’s fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, which was due to be played last night, a significant number of players and staff remain in isolation.

“As a result, the Premier League Board has agreed to Aston Villa’s request to postpone their match on Sunday.”

Villa’s Premier League game at home to Tottenham, initially scheduled for January 13, was called off, while the club fielded a side comprised entirely of under-23s and under-18s in their FA Cup defeat to Liverpool last Friday.

For Everton, this is their second Premier League match this season to be called off due to the coronavirus, following the late postponement of their home game with Manchester City on December 28.

A revised date for either the Villa or City match is yet to be confirmed.

It means Carlo Ancelotti’s men are not scheduled to play again until the weekend of January 22-24, when they host Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round of the FA Cup.