Roberto Martinez has told his Everton players to be wary of Aston Villa under new manager Remi Garde when both sides clash at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Garde replaced Tim Sherwood earlier this month, before the Villans ended a seven-match losing streak by holding Manchester City to a 0-0 draw in what has been the Frenchman's only game in charge so far.
They remain bottom of the Premier League table, five points adrift of safety, but Martinez can see encouraging foundations being laid by the former Lyon coach.
"I went to watch the game when they drew against Manchester City and they were very impressive," he told reporters.
"The new manager has come in with a very clear idea of the way he wants to see Villa playing and has really good experience of the British game from his time as a player.
"You are going to see a team based on attacking football and the fighting spirit they had against City is a really good starting point."
The Toffees sit 12 points above Villa in ninth place ahead of the encounter.
Shane Callaghan
