Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace

The stakes are high for Aston Villa and Crystal Palace as they square off in a must-win Premier League encounter at Villa Park.

Aston Villa enjoyed a fantastic start to the new Premier League season after securing a remarkable top-four finish last term, racking up four wins in the opening five rounds. However, their form has since fallen off a cliff, with the Lions claiming just one victory across their last six league outings (D3, L2), resulting in a lackluster ninth place. That could change this weekend, considering they trail third-placed Chelsea by a single point ahead of a home clash against Crystal Palace, a side they’ve lost to only once in their last 12 top-flight H2Hs at Villa Park (W7, D4). Head coach Unai Emery has entered uncharted territory, suffering four consecutive defeats in all competitions for the first time during his 1026-match reign as a manager.

Interestingly, Crystal Palace initiated Villa’s downfall, beating them 2-1 in the EFL Cup in late October. However, they’ve since gone winless in back-to-back Premier League matches (D1, L1), entering the break a point below safety after only winning once in the first 11 rounds (D4, L6). With only rock-bottom Southampton (7) scoring fewer league goals than Palace’s eight, manager Oliver Glasner must address his side’s dreadful form in the final third to increase their chances for survival. Indeed, the Eagles have failed to get on the scoresheet in a joint-high five matches this term. That makes for bleak reading, especially considering they’ve only bagged two goals in their last seven Premier League visits to Villa Park.