Villa 1-1 Palace - Report
Villa’s hopes of a first top half Premier League finish since 2011 were dealt a blow as they were held at home by Crystal Palace.
Ollie Watkins’ 11th goal of the season looked to have put Steven Gerrard’s team on course for a third win in four matches.
But substitute Jeffrey Schlupp netted an equaliser with nine minutes to go to keep Palace above Villa in the table.
Watkins missed the chance to win it in stoppage time when he shot wide when clean through on goal.
Analysis
The draw, in truth, was probably a fair result in a match between two well-matched teams, where chances were at a premium.
For a long time the biggest cheer of the afternoon was pre-match when Villa’s European Cup winning squad were introduced onto the pitch.
Having got their noses in front through Watkins, Gerrard will be frustrated at his team’s failure to see the job through.
Hopes of a top half finish now look slim with Villa four points behind 10th-placed Leicester with two matches to play.
The atmosphere at kick-off was raucous, Withe and his team-mates having whipped up the crowd by walking up to the Holte End after being given a guard of honour by Villa’s current players and coaching staff.
Ings twice missed chances to further raise the volume in the opening 10 minutes. The first, admittedly, was difficult, the striker stabbing first time after meeting Douglas Luiz’s cross at the near post.
Yet the second he should have got on target, the ball sitting up nicely after Joachim Andersen had cut out John McGinn’s delivery. Ings could only send a volley over the bar.
That turned out to be Villa’s best chance of the opening half-hour with organised Palace making life tough and starting to threaten themselves.
Conor Gallagher should have done better with a header after being left unmarked at a corner, before Wilfried Zaha brought the first save of the match from Emi Martinez with a well-struck shot from 25 yards out.
When Villa did carve out another big chance, Ings again couldn’t find the finish. McGinn did well to win the ball on halfway and find Watkins, who played in his strike partner. Ings looked to have done everything right, making space for the shot but sending it a foot wide of the post.
Palace were doing better at hitting the target but could not beat Martinez, the keeper tipping Nathaniel Clyne’s low drive round the post.
Villa were forced into a change early in the second half when Konsa’s right leg was caught under the body of a tumbling Mateta. The 24-year-old was eventually able to walk gingerly off the pitch after lengthy treatment, to be replaced by Calum Chambers.
The latter soon made a key intervention to dispossess Zaha after Marvelous Nakamba’s rather lazy pass had played Villa into trouble.
There was a frustrating lack of finesse about the home side’s work. McGinn, their most impressive performer, played in Cash but the latter then hammered his cross through the six-yard box with no-one there to convert.
Zaha, meanwhile, was revelling in the role of pantomime villain, cupping his ears in apparent delight at the barracking he received from one particular rant at referee Chris Kavanagh.
Martinez was called into action to save a Gallagher shot only partially blocked by Tyrone Mings, before Villa took the lead almost out of nothing.
The architect of the goal was Digne, whose whipped cross from the left-wing was the moment of quality the game had been lacking. Watkins and Guehi were tangling at the far post when it arrived in the box and while it was difficult to see who got the final touch, the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Having finally managed to get in front, the manner of Palace’s leveller nine minutes from time was frustrating. Mings rose highest to head away Gallagher’s free-kick but Villa failed to deal with the return ball from Andersen, Guehi knocking it down and Schlupp, on for only four minutes at that point, converting from close range.
The most exciting period of the match came in stoppage time. Digne drew a flying save from Butland with an effort from distance, before Watkins fluffed his lines after being played in by Emi Buendia, dragging his attempt wide.
Key Moments
69 GOAL Ollie Watkins breaks the deadlock, converting Lucas Digne’s left wing cross after tangling with Marc Guehi.
82 GOAL Substitute Jeffrey Schlupp levels the scores, converting at close range after Guehi flicks on Joachim Andersen’s cross.
Teams
Villa (4-3-1-2): Martinez, Cash, Konsa (Chambers 50), Mings, Digne, McGinn, Nakamba (Ramsey 66), Luiz, Coutinho, Watkins, Ings (Buendia 70) Subs not used: Sanson, Traore, Young, Chukwuemeka, Iroegbunam, Olsen (gk).
Palace (3-5-2): Butland, Kouyate, Anderson, Guehi, Mitchell, Eze (Schlupp 77), Gallagher, Milivojevic (Benteke 77), Clyne, Mateta (Edouard 70), Zaha Subs not used: Ward, Ayew, Hughes, Schlupp, Kelly, Ray-Sakyi, Guaita (gk).
