Aston Villa welcome Crystal Palace to Villa Park in the second match of a Super Sunday quadruple header.
Villa can climb above Bournemouth with a win into the final relegation spot and restore a four point gap towards safety, whilst Palace can go 12th with victory.
Team News
Embed from Getty ImagesMatt Targett could be available for Villa if he passes a late fitness test on a hamstring injury suffered a fortnight ago against Wolves.
Tom Heaton, Wesley (both knee) and Bjorn Engels (Achilles) remain sidelined.
Palace could welcome Martin Kelly back into defence following a lengthy calf injury.
Gary Cahill (hamstring) is ruled out alongside James Tomkins (thigh) and Jeffrey Schlupp (unspecified).
Stat Attack
- Aston Villa are unbeaten in three of their last five meetings against Crystal Palace (W2, D1, L2).
- Palace have won just one of their last five league trips to Villa Park (W1, D2, L2).
- Villa have kept clean sheets in their last two home games against Palace (W1, D1)
- In 15 previous Premier League meetings, neither team have been awarded a penalty.
- Both teams have scored 12 goals apiece in 15 previous Premier League clashes.
Prediction
After a three goal mauling by a dominant Manchester United in midweek, this is a huge clash for Villa if they’re to keep touch with their relegation rivals ahead of their last three games of this season.
Palace meanwhile were unlucky to lose to Chelsea as their freefall continues to be a concern, given that they were on the verge of a late top seven challenge when the season restarted.
Defending therefore is going to be key for two defensively inconsistent teams but Palace do have the better quality needed to edge this encounter.
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Crystal Palace
Result: Aston Villa 2-0 Crystal Palace
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