Senior figures at Villa see every window as an opportunity to augment the squad, but this month feels especially pressing

Adam: Positive signs against a very good Villa side. Moyes seems to have given us a bit of confidence, especially in the first half, and added some much needed width to our game. We have too many players wanting time on the ball and need to find the net of course. I'm mildly optimistic for the rest of the season.

Follow live coverage as Everton face Aston Villa today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.