Fresh from a dramatic weekend in the Premier League title race, Aston Villa travel to Selhurst Park on Wednesday night knowing that a victory could propel them into second place.
Unai Emery’s side recently dispatched Nottingham Forest 3-1 to keep pace with the leaders, but they face a historical “bogey” ground in South London. Crystal Palace find themselves in a mid-winter slump, having failed to win in their last seven matches, but the Eagles have traditionally dominated Villa at home, winning nine of their 13 Premier League encounters at Selhurst Park.
With Villa level on points with Manchester City following the Citizens’ recent 1-1 draw with Chelsea, the stakes for this road trip have never been higher for the high-flying Villans. Despite their lofty league position, Villa have conceded 14 goals in their last four games against Palace—as many as they had in the previous 15 meetings combined. Emery will be desperate to break his personal jinx against Oliver Glasner, having never beaten the Austrian in six previous meetings.
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
Oliver Glasner’s squad depth is being tested to the limit following a bruising encounter at Newcastle. Nathaniel Clyne (abductor) and Jefferson Lerma (concussion) are both ruled out, joining long-term absentees Daichi Kamada, Daniel Muñoz, and Cheick Doucouré on the sidelines. In a significant boost, Chris Richards is set to return to the matchday squad, though he is likely to start on the bench. The Eagles may hand a full debut to club-record signing Brennan Johnson, who joined from Tottenham last week.
Aston Villa
The visitors are sweating on the fitness of defensive mainstays Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres, with both players facing late tests after lengthy injury layoffs. Midfielders Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley remain unavailable, while Evann Guessand is away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast. In their absence, the partnership of Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara is expected to continue in the engine room.
Form
Crystal Palace
Palace boast incredible home dominance in this fixture, winning six of their last seven home games against Villa. This includes the last three in a row by a combined score of 10-1. Jean-Philippe Mateta remains the man to watch; he has been involved in nine goals against Villa—more than against any other Premier League side. However, the Eagles enter this clash without a win in their last seven outings across all competitions.
Aston Villa
Villa have been in sensational form, particularly Ollie Watkins, who has scored six goals since the start of December—more than any other player in the division. A win tonight would take Villa to 45+ points after 21 games for only the third time in their history. Notably, on both previous occasions they reached this milestone (1895-96 and 1898-99), they went on to win the league title.
Predicted Lineups
Crystal Palace predicted XI: Henderson; Canvot, Lacroix, Guéhi; Rodney, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Johnson, Pino; Mateta
Aston Villa predicted XI: Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Lindelöf, Maatsen; Kamara, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendía; Watkins
How to watch Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports+. Coverage begins at 18:00 GMT, with the game kicking off at 19:30 GMT.
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