Palace, Aston Villa go head-to-head in midweek clash.
Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa kicks off at 19:30 [GMT] on Wednesday, January 7, at Selhurst Park.
Fourteenth-placed Palace [LLLDL] arrive knowing they already secured a 3-0 victory at Villa Park in August and now have the chance to complete their first league double over the Villans since the 2013–14 season. That emphatic away win was part of a broader trend that has seen Aston Villa struggle against the Eagles in recent encounters. Villa have lost three of their last four Premier League matches against Crystal Palace, drawing the other, and have conceded 14 goals across those four games. That total matches the number of goals they had shipped in the previous 15 league meetings with Palace combined, underlining how problematic this fixture has become for Unai Emery’s side. Selhurst Park, in particular, has historically been a difficult venue for Villa. Crystal Palace have won nine of their 13 Premier League home games against Aston Villa, including six of the last seven and each of the last three in succession. It is the opponent Palace has beaten most often at home in the competition. Despite that strong long-term home record against Villa, Palace’s recent form at Selhurst Park has dipped. They are winless in their last five home Premier League matches, drawing twice and losing three. This is their longest run without a home league win since a seven-game stretch between September and December 2023. Overall form has also been a concern, with Palace losing four of their last five league games, more defeats than they suffered in the previous 21 combined. Jean-Philippe Mateta has been particularly effective against Villa, with nine Premier League goal involvements against them, more than against any other opponent. Eight of those have come in his last five appearances versus the Villans. He is expected at the end of Palace’s 3—4—2—1 formation once again.
Third-placed Aston Villa [WWWLW], by contrast, arrive in south London with one of the strongest records in the division this season. They have collected 42 points from their opening 20 Premier League games, winning 13, drawing three, and losing four. Reaching 45 points or more after 21 matches would place this campaign among the best starts in the club’s top-flight history, something they have only previously achieved in title-winning seasons in the late 19th century. This match also represents Villa’s fourth consecutive away league game in London, a rare scheduling quirk they last experienced in the 1989–90 season. For the visitors, Ollie Watkins has been in prolific form since December, scoring six league goals, a tally matched only by Dominic Calvert-Lewin in that period. Watkins is expected at the attacking end of Villa’s 4—2—3—1 formation.