Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa can take second place in the Premier League standings, depending on what happens this Wednesday night. First things first, they must take care of business when they visit Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, and they’re also hoping that Manchester City drop their upcoming match against Brighton.
The Villans saw their 11-game winning streak end at the hands of Arsenal before the New Year, but Unai Emery’s men bounced back with a 3-1 win against Nottingham Forest last Saturday. They are currently six points adrift of the Gunners at the top of the English top-flight standings.
On the other hand, Crystal Palace’s form has dipped, as they are winless in their last five league matches (D1, L4). As such, the Eagles slid to 14th in the table with 27 points heading into Matchday 21.
This is a huge game for both sides, and SBOTOP is here for the preview.
Talking Points
Crystal Palace adds to their firepower, but defensive issues remain
Crystal Palace opened the 2026 calendar year by poaching Brennan Johnson from Tottenham this winter transfer window. The Eagles reportedly paid a club record £35 million for Johnson, and the Wales forward received his first start during their 2-0 road loss against Newcastle United last time out.
Before moving to Selhurst Park, Johnson played sporadically under Thomas Frank this term, having scored only four goals in 22 appearances. It’ll take him some time to adjust to Oliver Glasner’s system, but he is a viable stopgap for Ismaila Sarr.
While signing Johnson was shrewd, Crystal Palace must also add to their defensive depth, especially after what happened to Jefferson Lerma and Nathaniel Clyne against the Magpies last weekend.
19-year-old Jaydee Canvot replaced Lerma before the halftime whistle, as the 31-year-old defender suffered a concussion. Justin Devenny replaced Clyne in the second half after the 34-year-old wing-back sustained a groin injury. Canvot will likely join Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi in the back three against the Villans, especially with Chris Richards still out due to a foot injury.
Jean-Philippe Mateta continues to shoulder the scoring burden. The French striker has been involved in more Premier League goals against Aston Villa than he has against any other opponent (six goals, three assists).
Watkins is picking up steam for Aston Villa
Aston Villa’s recent resurgence can be largely attributed to their improved offence, spearheaded by Ollie Watkins, who has scored four goals across his last three appearances. Since the start of December, no player has scored more Premier League goals than Watkins (six goals, level with Leeds United’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin). Watkins is looking to score in four or more consecutive appearances in the English top-flight for just the third time, and first since April 2023.
Besides Watkins’ purple patch, Aston Villa could receive lineup boosts on the defensive end against the Eagles, with centre-backs Pau Torres (calf) and Tyrone Mings (hamstring) edging towards returns.
History
Crystal Palace won 3-0 in the reverse fixture last August, as Jean-Philippe Mateta, Marc Guehi, and Ismaila Sarr were on the scoresheet, and the Eagles are gunning for their first league double over the Villans since 2013-14. They’ve won nine of their 13 Premier League home games against Aston Villa (D2, L2), including six of the last seven and the last three in a row.
Aston Villa have lost three of their last four Premier League games against Crystal Palace (D1), having conceded 14 goals. A win here would have the Villans on at least 45 points from their opening 21 matches of a league campaign for just the third time after last doing so in 1895-96 (45) and 1898-99 (48) – where they won the top-flight championship.
Betting Tip
The Premier League 2026 odds expect a tight affair between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, despite the massive gap between them in the English top-flight standings and their recent form. Aston Villa have the slight advantage at 2.35, while Crystal Palace aren’t far behind at 2.85, and a draw is pegged at 3.08 in the 1X2 market.
These two teams have had their share of high-scoring games, and there’ll be more Premier League 2026 highlights at Selhurst Park on Wednesday. Besides our recommended bet, bettors may also consider adding Over 2.25 at 1.70, Over 2.50 at 1.97, and Over 2.75 at 2.21 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 3-0 in favour of Crystal Palace – the result of their last league encounter – is on offer at a mouthwatering 44.00 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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