Premier League: Eagles Look to Soar Over the Villans at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa

Crystal Palace are one of the hottest teams in the Premier League right now, and they will look to end their 2023-24 campaign with a positive vibe when they host Aston Villa at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Since losing to Manchester City last month, the Eagles are on a six-game undefeated run (W5, D1) and are looking to make it seven to potentially move up to the top half of the standings.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, are winless in their last three. But they can now breathe a sigh of relief after clinching their Champions League berth for next season when Spurs lost against Manchester City yesterday.

This may be a no-bearing game in the eyes of many. But regardless, SBOTOP football fans are going to be entertained since we expect these two sides to create numerous Premier League 2024 highlights.

 

Talking Points

Crystal Palace face huge dilemma ahead

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is hoping that the club will be able to retain Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise’s services amid interest from rival sides ahead of the summer transfer window.

The talented wing duo is responsible for the Eagles’ resurgence late in the season, as they have combined for 19 goals and 10 assists this season.

And because Eze and Olise have yet to hit their prime, they’ve garnered significant interest in the open market, and Crystal Palace can cash in on them if they want to. According to the BBC, Crystal Palace could demand at least £60 million for each player, with both of them out of contract in 2027.

Eze and Olise ran the show in Crystal Palace’s 3-1 win over Wolves, as they ran circles around Gary O’Neil’s backline, scoring one goal apiece in the process. Striker Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a goal of his own too.

The only drawback for Crystal Palace last weekend was the sending off of Naouirou Ahamada, making him unavailable against Aston Villa. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder will join Sam Johnstone (elbow), Rob Holding (thigh), Matheus Franca (adductor), and Cheick Doucoure (achilles) on the sidelines.

In other team news, Jefferson Lerma picked up a hamstring injury, and Oliver Glasner hinted that the Colombian midfielder might not play because the team is prioritising his fitness ahead of the Copa America.  

 

Job finished for Aston Villa

It has been a busy last few weeks for Aston Villa, as they juggled between the Premier League and the Europa Conference League, and all the trouble was worth it because they’re now Champions League-bound.

Aston Villa’s biggest weapon is Ollie Watkins, since he is their top scorer with 27 goals and 13 assists this season and is fourth in the Premier League Golden Boot race.

However, the Eagles would also have to watch out for super sub Jhon Duran, who is in form following his brace against Liverpool. The young Colombian striker now has eight goals this year.

 

History

Aston Villa defeated Crystal Palace earlier this season via a 3-1 result last September, as Jhon Duran, Douglas Luiz, and Leon Bailey spearheaded a remarkable turnaround after being down by one goal for the most part, courtesy of Odsonne Edouard’s goal in the 47^th minute.

That was Crystal Palace’s second-ever Premier League away game loss after scoring the opening goal in the second half at the time, with the previous one being in August 2004 in a 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough.

Paddy McCarthy was the interim manager back then for the Eagles because Patrick Vieira was sacked by the squad in March 2023. Since then, the Eagles have re-appointed Roy Hodgson to be their manager, but he was eventually replaced by Oliver Glasner.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2024 odds are siding with arguably the hottest team in the league right now, as Crystal Palace are 1.86 favourites, while Aston Villa are priced at 3.33 to win, and a draw is at 3.80 odds in the 1X2 market.

Their last meeting had a handful of goals, and this weekend should not be different. So, other than our proposed bet above, you may also opt for alternatives like Over 3.25 at 1.84, Over 3.50 at 2.13, Total Goal 2-3 at 2.18, or Total Goal 4-6 at 2.25. Aston Villa are keen to secure a league double over Crystal Palace, and a Correct Score of 3-1 – the result of their reverse fixture – is on offer at 26.00. However, bettors may expect the same score, but the other way around, although it has a lower offer of 12.50.

   

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