Aston Villa head into matchday 15 of the Premier League in ninth place and two games in hand over many of their top-five rivals. European qualification is a possibility for Dean Smith’s team. A win on Boxing Day could send the Villains up to fifth place if results go their way elsewhere.
Crystal Palace are coming off of a thrashing at the hands of Liverpool, 7-0, at Selhurst Park. The Eagles wings weren’t just clipped, they were chopped off by the Reds.
Now, Roy Hodgson aims to get his team a win. Crystal Palace have taken just five points from their last 18 possible. Just seven goals were scored by the Eagles and Hodgson goes into the game with several player injuries.
The good news is Christian Benteke will be back from suspension. He could start in attack and provide a goalscoring threat. Gary Cahill is unlikely to play after suffering a hamstring injury against Liverpool. Meanwhile, Nathan Ferguson, Connor Wickham, Martin Kelly, Wayne Hennessey, and Mamadou Sakho.
Aston Villa have taken 10 points from their last 18 possible. They Villains haves scored nine goals while conceding four in their last six games. They are unbeaten in three straight fixtures and thrashed West Brom 3-0 last time out.
Smith could have midfielder Ross Barkley back from injury for the match. Barkley will undergo a late fitness test. The midfielder has two goals in six appearances in the league. Barkley has an expected goal figure of 1.52.
Aston Villa forward Wesley is still injured but could be back in the coming weeks from a knee injury. Ezri Konsa has been passed fit to play while Mahmoud Ibrahim Hassan is ruled out.
When these teams met at Villa Park last season, Aston Villa came away with a 2-0 victory. The Villains scored on either side of halftime. Trezeguet got both goals for the Villains. The forward has not found the back of the net this season.
The home team have won the last two matches between these clubs. That trend should continue this weekend as Aston Villa claim a win at Villa Park against an inconsistent Crystal Palace. The Eagles have conceded 11 times on the road, which they should allow goals again.
When the floor is lava 🔥 @chrisbenteke#CPFC | https://t.co/utMcYSDkhb pic.twitter.com/ErmKDsi5Iu— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) December 23, 2020
When the floor is lava 🔥 @chrisbenteke#CPFC | https://t.co/utMcYSDkhb pic.twitter.com/ErmKDsi5Iu
Aston Villa should claim a win at home against Crystal Palace and post a third straight clean sheet in the league. It should be a low-scoring game as the home side wins for a third straight time in the series of games between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.