Oliver Glasner has been linked with a move away from Crystal Palace, and the team are winless in seven games across all competitions. There are issues over at Crystal Palace, with the team managing only two wins in their ten home games in the Premier League this season ahead of the visit of Aston Villa.
From the promise of a European finish owing to their form early in the campaign, Palace languish in 14th spot, seven points behind fourth-placed Liverpool at the moment. There is a lot to improve from Glasner’s perspective, and a steady win in midweek should boost their confidence.
The bigger underlying issue has been Palace’s inability to maneuver a congested foxtrot list. Much like any team experiencing European football for the first time, it is only natural to expect a drop off from time to time. But at the moment, the Eagles desperately need a win to reset their bearings.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa ended Gameweek 20 in third spot, and level on points with Manchester City, who are only ahead on goal difference. Following the heavy defeat to Arsenal that ended an 11-game winning run across all competitions, Unai Emery’s side answered plenty of questions with a stellar win over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.
A stunning strike from Ollie Watkins and a second-half brace from John McGinn ensured the three points stayed at Villa Park. The win was all the more important to assert their ambitions to finish in the top four at the very least, as many had expected further drop-offs following the loss to Arsenal.
Villa will want to at least keep hold of the third spot with a win away at Crystal Palace, as some of the games on the road could pose a tricky prospect for Emery. The West Midlands outfit are currently in third and have a comfortable eight-point gap over fourth-placed Liverpool, as Emery will want to retain that at the very least after the upcoming gameweek.
Attacking reinforcements were paramount for Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace in the January window, as the club obliged by signing Brennan Johnson. Making his home bow, the former Tottenham man is expected to start this clash against Villa, alongside Yeremy Pino and Jean-Philippe Mateta in the final third.
Meanwhile, Glasner has a long list of absentees ahead of the home game against Villa, and he might have lost two more players over the weekend. Firstly, it was Nathaniel Clyne who was forced off with a groin issue, while Jefferson Lerma was substituted owing to concussion protocols. Neither of those players are expected to participate in midweek, with Justin Devenny and Jaydee Canvot expected to replace them.
Will Hughes will continue to play in midfield in place of the absent Daichi Kamada, while Johnson is expected to start in the attacking third. There is a slight chance that Chris Richards turns up fit after missing games with a foot injury, as he would start if fit or else, Canvot should deputise in the backline.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Canvot, Lacroix, Guehi; Devenny, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Johnson, Yeremy; Mateta
Aston Villa did not suffer any fresh blows in the win over Nottingham Forest, and Unai Emery could name a similar lineup to face Crystal Palace. There are some players close to making returns, as centre-back duo Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings are edging closer to the first-team action.
Whether they will make the squad for this trip to South London remains to be seen, and Emery might continue with Victor Lindelof and Ezri Konsa for the time being at the heart of his defence. Matty Cash and Ian Maatsen could feature in the full-back roles, while Emery will have no choice but to use Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara in his midfield setup.
John McGinn’s brilliant role against Nottingham Forest may see him star on the right side of the attack, while Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia will complete the attacking setup alongside Ollie Watkins.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen; Kamara, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins
Watkins is in a good vein of goalscoring form at the moment, and this will be a big boost for Villa to end their six-game winless run against Crystal Palace. Watkins has scored some key goals in three games in a row.
With the club struggling to find deputy options for the England international, Unai Emery will want to make use of Watkins to his best abilities now that his striker is bang in form at the moment. The experienced forward will be Crystal Palace’s biggest headache ahead of this clash, and Watkins will hope to score four games in a row in the Premier League.
Crystal Palace will come into this clash under some pressure to end a dreadful run of seven games without a win, and there are no indications from the team to show they are ready to turn a corner. Despite being perceived as a strong team on home soil, the Eagles only have two wins to show at home all season in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa answered bid questions over their mentality after the defeat to Arsenal as they bounced back with a win over Nottingham Forest. This could well be a tricky outing for Emery’s men, but they are in the form to get three points and heap more pressure on Palace and Glasner.
