Unai Emery has confirmed his Aston Villa starting eleven for this evening's Premier League encounter with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The Villa boss has opted for two alterations from the side that secured a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest last weekend.
Two Changes for Villa as Sancho Starts
Lucas Digne and Jadon Sancho come into the starting line-up, replacing Ian Maatsen and Emi Buendia respectively. This sees Digne return at left-back, while Sancho will provide attacking support from the flank. The team shows a significant boost with the return of defender Pau Torres to the matchday squad following injury, though he begins the game among the substitutes.
Emi Martínez continues in goal, shielded by a back four of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Victor Lindelöf, and the returning Digne. The midfield double pivot consists of Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans. Captain John McGinn, Morgan Rogers, and the incoming Sancho will operate behind lone striker Ollie Watkins.
Villa Aim to Build Momentum Against Tough Opponents
The Villans are looking to build on their win against Forest, which ended a previous defeat to Arsenal. However, the historical record makes for concerning reading for the travelling supporters. Aston Villa have lost three of their last four Premier League meetings with Palace, drawing the other. In those four games, they have conceded a staggering 14 goals, which equals the number they let in across their prior 15 league fixtures against the Eagles.
Palace, managed by Oliver Glasner, arrive at the match in a poor run of form at home. They are currently winless in their last five Premier League matches at Selhurst Park (D2 L3). This represents their worst sequence on home soil since a seven-game streak without victory under Roy Hodgson between September and December 2023.
Capital Focus for Emery's Side
This fixture marks a curious piece of scheduling for Villa, as it is their fourth consecutive away league match in London. They have previously won two and lost one in this current run. The last time Villa played four league games in a row in the capital was in the 1989–90 season, where they recorded three wins and one defeat.
Aston Villa starting XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Sancho; Watkins.
Substitutes: Bizot, Maatsen, Torres, Bogarde, Garcia, Hemmings, Buendia, Malen, Jimoh-Aloba.
