Crystal Palace 3 Aston Villa 2 - Report

Youngster Tyrick Mitchell got the winner with five minutes remaining when he bundled home from close range.

Villa had lead through John McGinn and then Anwar El Ghazi, after Christian Benteke had first equalised for the hosts.

But Wilfried Zaha pulled Palace level again with 15 minutes remaining before Mitchell struck late with his first goal in senior football.

Analysis

Defeat continued a miserable record for Villa in away games at Palace. They have now won just one of their last 13 trips to Selhurst Park.

The result also saw hopes of a top-half finish diminish for Dean Smith’s team. They now trail Leeds by four points with just two matches remaining.

Ultimately, Dean Smith’s team paid the price for being unable to build on a strong start. McGinn, who captained the team in the absence of the injured Tyrone Mings, scored an excellent opener but Villa could not maintain the intensity as they fell away in the second half.

While Ollie Watkins returned up front following his suspension, Smith was forced into changes elsewhere as both Matty Cash and Mings missed out, the latter still feeling the effects of a knock sustained late in Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Everton.

Ahmed Elmohamady replaced Cash at right-back with Kortney Hause making his first start of 2021 in place of Mings. One other change saw Jacob Ramsey come in for Ross Barkley in midfield.

It was the 19-year-old who should perhaps have netted his first Premier League goal to put Villa ahead inside 90 seconds. Matt Targett’s ball over the top found Watkins in acres of space down the left and when he picked out Ramsey on the edge of the box, the youngster sent a first time effort wide of the target.

Hause was the next to go close, heading narrowly wide from a Traore corner. When Watkins did get an effort on target, Jack Butland proved equal to it, pushing his shot over the bar.

But Villa stuck to their task and got the goal their bright start deserved on 17 minutes. When Elmohamady’s cross was cleared, McGinn met the ball 25 yards out and stroked a first time finish in off the far post with the side of his left foot.

Through the first three-quarters of this season when Villa took the lead victory usually followed. Yet Smith’s team have developed the unhappy knack of letting an advantage slip and for the sixth time in seven matches they were pegged back, Benteke rising to head home Tyrick Mitchell’s cross at the far post after the visitors had missed several chance to clear.

In truth the leveller was reward for an improved performance from the hosts having gone behind. Yet parity lasted only two minutes.

McGinn got round Cahill on the right and delivered a cross which Cheikou Kouyate could only send directly skyward. When the ball came back down, Watkins won the header, flicking it into the path of El Ghazi to sweep home at the far post.

The Dutch winger came close to returning the compliment soon after, sending a cross agonisingly beyond the reach of a diving Watkins.

Having got to half-time ahead, Villa nearly suffered calamity within seconds of the restart, when Ramsey hammered the ball back to Martinez, who was unable to control it and then had to tackle Benteke in the box.

The Belgium international has been enjoying his best season since leaving Villa in 2015 and was only denied his second of the game by the brilliance of Martinez, who tipped his header onto the bar.

Villa were struggling to keep hold of the ball but came close to grabbing a third when El Ghazi almost succeeded in catching out Butland at the near post with a low drilled free-kick.

It felt like the visitors had weathered the storm when Zaha did pull Palace level with 15 minutes remaining. Afforded too much space on the left wing, he cut inside before hitting a shot which deflected off Elmohamady to beat Martinez.

After Eze had sent a long-range effort clattering off the bar, Mitchell then grabbed the winner when he reacted quickest to head home the former’s mis-hit shot.

Key Moments

17 - GOAL John McGinn fires Villa in front with his third Premier League goal of the season, stroking home a shot from 25 yards out.

32- GOAL Palace level. Former Villa striker Christian Benteke loops home a header from Tyrick Mitchell’s cross.

34 - GOAL Villa quickly reclaim the lead. Palace fail to clear a cross and Ollie Watkins nods into the path of Anwar El Ghazi to sweep home.

75 - GOAL Palace level again. Wilfried Zaha cuts in from the left and his shot takes a deflection on its way past Martinez.

85 - GOAL Tyrik Mitchell nabs the winner for Palace, heading home Eberechi Eze’s mis-hit shot from close range.

Teams

Palace (4-3-3): Butland, Ward, Kouyate, Dann, Mitchell, Eze, McCarthy (Tomkins 73), Schlupp, Townsend, Benteke, Zaha Subs not used: Dann, Ayew, Mateta, Batshuayi, Kelly, Riedewald, Guaita (gk), Hennessey (gk).

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Elmohamady, Konsa, Hause, Targett, McGinn, Luiz, Traore (Grealish 64), Ramsey (Davis 85), El Ghazi (Wesley 88), Watkins Subs not used: Taylor, Engels, Nakamba, Chukwuemeka, Barkley, Steer (gk).