Aston Villa heads to Selhurst Park on Wednesday night after an exciting weekend in the Premier League. A win could elevate them to second place.
Unai Emery’s team recently beat Nottingham Forest 3-1, staying close to the top teams. However, they face a challenging matchup in South London, where Crystal Palace has historically succeeded against them, winning nine out of their last 13 meetings at Selhurst Park. The Eagles are struggling, with no wins in their last seven matches.
With Villa tied on points with Manchester City after City’s recent 1-1 draw with Chelsea, the stakes for this game are high. Despite their strong performance, Villa has conceded 14 goals in their last four games against Palace, matching the total from their previous 15 encounters. Emery aims to overcome his record against Oliver Glasner, as he has not won in six previous matches against him.
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Wednesday, 7 January 2026
- Kick-off: 19:30 GMT
- Venue: Selhurst Park, London
- Referee: Andy Madley
- VAR: Michael Oliver
- Last Meeting: Aston Villa 0–3 Crystal Palace, 31 August 2025, Premier League
Team News
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace is dealing with injuries after a tough match against Newcastle. Nathaniel Clyne (abductor) and Jefferson Lerma (concussion) will miss the game, joining other long-term injured players. Chris Richards is likely to return but may start on the bench. Club-record signing Brennan Johnson could make his full debut after joining from Tottenham last week.
Aston Villa
Villa is uncertain about the fitness of key defenders Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres, who will undergo late fitness tests. Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley remain out, while Evann Guessand is at the Africa Cup of Nations. Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara are expected to continue their partnership in midfield.
Form
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace has a strong home record against Villa, winning six of their last seven home matches, including the last three by a combined score of 10-1. Jean-Philippe Mateta is a key player, having been involved in nine goals against Villa, but the Eagles have not won in their last seven games in all competitions.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa is in excellent form, with Ollie Watkins scoring six goals since December, leading all players in the league. A victory would bring Villa to over 45 points after 21 matches for only the third time in their history. In the past, they won the league title on both previous occasions when reaching this milestone (1895-96 and 1898-99).
Predicted Lineups
Crystal Palace predicted XI: Henderson; Canvot, Lacroix, Guéhi; Rodney, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Johnson, Pino; Mateta
Aston Villa predicted XI: MartÃnez; Cash, Konsa, Lindelöf, Maatsen; Kamara, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, BuendÃa; Watkins
How to watch Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports+. Coverage starts at 18:00 GMT, with kickoff at 19:30 GMT.
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