Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace Prediction: Visiting Eagles to deny Villans

Two of last season’s most successful sides meet at Villa Park on Sunday, with 2024-25 Champions League quarter-finalists Aston Villa taking on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. However, despite last season’s triumphs, the pair are both winless after two Premier League games. Villa will have been fairly happy with holding Newcastle to a 0-0 draw in their opener, but the 1-0 loss to Brentford was not what the doctor ordered.

Palace, meanwhile, have taken a point from games against both Chelsea and Nottingham Forest. That gives the Eagles the momentum heading into this clash and there is a good chance they extend their sensational unbeaten run at Villa Park.

Premier League Odds

Today's Football Fixtures

Team news

Andres Garcia is Villa’s sole injury absentee, although Ross Barkley and Boubacar Kamara face late fitness tests and Ezri Konsa is suspended.

Chadi Riad, Cheick Doucoure, Eddie Nketiah, Matheus Franca, Odsonne Edouard and Caleb Kporha make up a lengthy Palace injury list.

Will Hughes must also be assessed, while there could be a first start for £26 million new boy Yeremy Pino.

Match odds

Despite their poor start, Aston Villa are 10/11 favourites to beat Crystal Palace, who are 16/5, with the draw available at 13/5.

Both teams to score is an appealing bet at 4/5, as is over 2.5 goals at 10/11.

Draw or Crystal Palace double chance @ 9/10

Palace may not be firing on all cylinders just yet, but the important thing is they know how to avoid defeat. Their unbeaten run in all competitions now stands at 13 games and includes wins over Manchester City, Tottenham and Villa, as well as draws with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Oliver Glasner’s side have struggled to create chances in the early part of the season, mainly due to Eberechi Eze’s desire to leave and subsequent absence since making his move to Arsenal.

New signing Yeremy Pino, scorer of four goals and provider of seven assists in La Liga last term, should help fill the void left by Eze and we could see Palace back at their brilliant best.

The Eagles have an excellent record against Villa, scoring 16 goals while winning four and losing none of the last five meetings, and the hosts have shown nothing in their first two matches to suggest they can snap that streak.

Only West Ham and Wolves had accumulated fewer expected goals than the Villans’ 1.4 after two matches and Unai Emery’s men look short of ideas, so side with the Eagles.

Ismaila Sarr anytime goalscorer @ 18/5

Key to Palace’s success in recent head-to-heads with Villa has been Ismaila Sarr, who has scored five goals in the pair’s last three meetings.

The Senegalese speedster netted a brace in the FA Cup semi-final victory over the Villans and another in the pair’s last league meeting.

Sarr is also the only Palace player to score in the Premier League so far this term and his pace is expected to cause the Villans backline plenty of problems once again.

Football Betting Tips with Betfred Insights.