Aston Villa v Crystal Palace: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Two sides who have made contrasting starts to the season following campaigns full of promise last time will clash at Villa Park on Saturday, when Aston Villa host Crystal Palace

Villa are sat ninth in the Premier League but they have dealt with the pressure of the UEFA Champions League well enough and are just one point off of third-placed Chelsea ahead of this round of fixtures.

Despite their strong end to last term under Oliver Glasner, Palace are down in 18th with just seven points to their name and look set for a season battling against relegation.

Aston Villa v Crystal Palace betting tips and predictions

Draw - 3/1

The good feeling around Villa Park is in danger of disappearing following a poor run of results from Unai Emery’s side. The Villans’ sensational 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League now seems an age ago, with Villa losing their last four matches in all competitions.

That run began with a 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, who will be looking to repeat the trick on Saturday, in the League Cup and also includes losses to Club Brugge and Liverpool as well as a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham. 

Villa will fancy their chances of bouncing back to winning ways against Palace given the Eagles’ lowly league position, but things may not be that straightforward for Emery’s men.

The injuries are stacking up for the Villans, with Ezri Konsa, Ian Maatsen, Ross Barkley, Pau Torres, Jacob Ramsey, Boubacar Kamara and Matty Cash doubts for this clash and Amadou Onana a certain absentee.

Palace have their own injury concerns, with Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton both ruled out, but they have dealt with those issues for a while now and they may be more equipped than their hosts ahead of this match. 

The Eagles’ victories over Villa and Tottenham towards the end of last month may tempt those searching for an outsider on Saturday, but the fact they reverted to the norm with a 2-0 home loss to Fulham last time out does temper enthusiasm in Glasner’s men from a win perspective. 

That makes the draw a big player instead, and at solid odds too with neither side likely to blink first as each bid to bounce back to winning ways.

Both teams to score - 3/4

With little between these two sides, it would be no surprise to see each get on the scoresheet at Villa Park, especially given the attacking talent in both camps.

Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran have netted a combined nine Premier League goals for Villa this season while Morgan Rogers, who earned his first England cap during the international break, is improving with every game and is also capable of impacting things in the final third. 

Palace, meanwhile, have Jean-Philippe Mateta in their ranks. The Frenchman netted a hat-trick against Villa last season and he should get ample service from Ismaila Sarr.

Both teams have scored in six of Palace’s last seven away games and in six of the eight most recent meetings between the pair, with that trend likely to continue this weekend, especially seeing as Villa have gone five matches without a clean sheet. 

Jhon Duran anytime goalscorer - 21/10

One of the stories of the season has been Duran’s impact as a substitute for Villa, with the Colombian scoring all four of his league goals after coming off the bench, netting every 70 minutes on average. 

Duran has also scored in two of Villa’s last three home games, with a strike against Palace in the League Cup included in that run, while he was the man who notched the winner against Bayern Munich too.

The Colombian can be ruthless on his day and he could cause plenty of issues for a Palace defence which is yet to record an away clean sheet this term and is likely to be lacking protection with Wharton out and Jefferson Lerma a big injury doubt.

Read more football betting tips and predictions on site.

Aston Villa v Crystal Palace odds

Aston Villa - 3/5
Draw - 3/1
Crystal Palace - 9/2

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.