Crystal Palace will be looking to make it three matches unbeaten in four ahead of the September international break, as they welcome Aston Villa to Selhurst Park.
Team news
Embed from Getty ImagesCrystal Palace have no fresh injury concerns to report as James Tomkins (groin) and Mamadou Sakho (knee) both remain sidelined.
Aston Villa will be without Matt Targett after the youngster picked up a hamstring injury at Crewe in midweek.
Jonathan Kodjia (ankle) and James Chester (hamstring) are also absent but both should be available after the international break along with Targett.
Form
Palace have taken four points from their opening three league games but have scored just two goals in all competitions, of which both came last Saturday against Manchester United.
Aston Villa have scored in all four of their matches across all competitions, but have kept just one clean sheet which came at home to Everton last weekend.
Stat Attack
- Crystal Palace are unbeaten in three of their last five league meetings with Aston Villa (W2, D1, L2).
- Their last meeting at Selhurst Park in August 2015 is the only match in their last six clashes in which both teams scored in the same game, as Palace ran out 2-1 winners with all three goals that day coming in the last 20 minutes.
- Palace are yet to score from outside the box this season, whereas Villa has done so on one occasion.
- Villa’s Tyrone Mings have made 32 clearances of which 15 were headed, which is more than any other player so far this season.
- Palace’s Vicente Guaita and Villa’s Tom Heaton have both made six saves so far this season.
Prediction
Selhurst Park really hasn’t been an impressive fortress for Palace with just 18 points from their last 20 home league games, so I can see Villa potentially causing issues with their attacking pace if John McGinn is on form.
Palace however have fresh confidence from their hard fought win over Man Utd, even if they did lose at home on penalties to Colchester in midweek despite the squad being rotated.
I am therefore going to go for a draw because this fixture hasn’t screamed goals much in recent seasons.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-1 Aston Villa
Result: Crystal Palace 1-0 Aston Villa