Crystal Palace v Aston Villa preview: Team news, lineups, betting odds, prediction
Aston Villa will be looking to make it two Premier League wins on the bounce as they gear up to face Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening.
Unai Emery’s men have only won one out of their last five top-flight games and have seen themselves drop down to eighth in the table.
A victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, however, could send them as high as fourth in the Premier League, should other results go their way.
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa preview
While hopes of a second successive Champions League run were more than on the cards a few weeks ago, with the recent drop-off in form they’ve shown, it’s unclear whether the Villans will have what it takes to break into and stay in the top-four spots.
Players such as Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford were added to Villa’s ranks in the winter transfer window, and while they may be starting to come into their own at the moment, it’s unknown whether they can keep up that level of performance up until the end of the term.
In their last five Premier League games, Emery’s men have only picked up six points, which, for a team as strong as the Villans’, is a slight cause for concern. The win against, Chelsea, though, certainly offers hope.
| Team | Position | Points |
| Manchester City | 4th | 44 |
| Newcastle | 5th | 44 |
| Bournemouth | 6th | 43 |
| Chelsea | 7th | 43 |
| Aston Villa | 8th | 42 |
Palace, on the other hand, have won three of their last five Premier League games and have earned themselves nine points out of 15.
Oliver Glasner’s men were having a rough go at it when the season first kicked off, but thanks to a recent upturn in form, they’re slowly making their way back up the table and currently sit in 13th place.
A win for the Eagles could get them up to 12th and within three points of the top half of the table if results go their way.
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa team news
Villa will still have a fair few players missing on Tuesday with Ross Barkley, Tyrone Mings, Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana and Pau Torres all likely to be out of the clash.
Axel Disasi will, however, be a player that Emery has at his disposal as, last time out against Chelsea, he couldn’t play as the Blues are his parent club.
Morgan Rogers should also be available for the game, which is a massive boost for the away side.
Palace will also have a few of their first-team members out with Joel Ward, Cheick Doucoure and Chadi Riad all unavailable.
Predicted lineups
Crystal Palace – Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Eze.
Aston Villa – Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Disasi; McGinn, Tielemans, Asensio; Bailey, Rashford, Watkins.
Betting Odds
Crystal Palace: 7/5
Draw: 5/2
Aston Villa: 9/5
(All odds according to Bet365 as of 24 February).
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1 – 2 Aston Villa
Despite not being in the best of form, Villa will more than likely build from their 2-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday and add another three points to their tally.
While it may have taken a couple of weeks for Rashford and Asensio to settle into the team, with the performance they both put in against Enzo Maresca’s men, it’s hard to see how Palace will be able to keep them out.
The Eagles will no doubt be up for a fight, and with the recent purple patch of form that Jean-Philippe Mateta has found himself in, he could cause a problem for Emery’s men if he isn’t dealt with correctly.