Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace preview: Remi Garde hopes to reunite pitiful Villans with first home win of the season
A look ahead to the Premier League fixture at Villa Park
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Your support makes all the difference.It’s a big game for…
Fraizer Campbell: Crystal Palace haven’t scored in their last three Premier League games, and their entire strike-force boasts only 1 goal between them this season so far. Campbell will be eager to silence the critics and hope that a positive contribution dismisses speculation that Palace manager Alan Pardew is in the market for a new striker.
Best stat…
Aston Villa haven’t beaten Crystal Palace at home in the Premier League since March 1998, where Savo Milosevic scored a brace to secure a 3-1 win. Albeit Aston Villa have been a mainstay in the Premier League since its induction, and Palace have been fluctuating through the leagues until recent times; Villa haven’t beaten them at Villa Park in their last three league meetings.
Remember when…
Darren Ambrose scored a 37-yard free kick for Palace in the FA Cup 5th Round to make it 2-1 against Villa in the 2009/10 season. Ambrose’s screamer ultimately meant nothing as Villa equalised to force the tie to a replay, which they won 3-1.
Player to watch…
Jordan Ayew: The Ghanaian returns from suspension after missing Villa’s 3-1 defeat to fellow strugglers Sunderland in their last Premier League outing. With five goals in fifteen games, Ayew is Villa’s top scorer so far – and is undoubtedly their main hope for securing the three points they so desperately need.
Past three meetings…
Crystal Palace 2 (Dann, Sako) Aston Villa 1 (Souare OG), Premier League, August 2015
Aston Villa 0 Crystal Palace 0, Premier League, January 2015
Crystal Palace 0 Aston Villa 1 (Benteke), Premier League, December 2014
Form guide:
Aston Villa: DLDDLL
Crystal Palace: DWWDDL
Vital information:
Kick-off time: 7:45pm
TV: Highlights on MOTD, Wednesday 13th Jan, BBC1 10:45PM
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