The Matchday 3 Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace will take place on August 31 at Villa Park in Birmingham. Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Aston Villa
The Birmingham side finds itself in an unfamiliar 17th place. Like Wolverhampton, they have yet to score a goal. Unai Emery's team has had a weak and uncertain start, although the club's defense has been commendable, conceding only one goal. In the first round, Aston Villa drew 0-0 at home against Newcastle, and in the next match, they lost 0-1 away to Brentford. The team has failed to score in their last three league matches.
- At least one team has failed to score in Aston Villa's last six Premier League matches.
- No more than two goals have been scored in Aston Villa's last six league games.
- The club is unbeaten in their last 19 home Premier League matches (11 wins and 8 draws).
Predicted lineup for Aston Villa (4-4-2)
Emiliano Martinez – Tyrone Mings, Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne – Amadou Onana, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans – Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins.
Midfielder Ross Barkley and defender Andres Garcia will miss the match due to injuries. Midfielder Boubacar Kamara might also miss the game due to a minor injury.
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner's side is unbeaten in their last eight Premier League matches (2 wins and 6 draws). The team has dropped many points due to an excess of draws. In the new season, the Londoners started with draws, although their opponents were from the European competition zone last season: they drew 0-0 away against Chelsea and then shared points at home with Nottingham Forest (1-1).
Winger Eberechi Eze has moved to another club.
- The club has not lost in 13 of their last 15 Premier League matches (6 wins and 7 draws).
- No more than two goals have been scored in 5 of Crystal Palace's last 6 Premier League matches.
- The team has scored in 9 of their last 11 away league games.
Predicted lineup for Crystal Palace (5-3-2)
Dean Henderson – Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Tyrick Mitchell, Daniel Munoz, Marc Guehi – Will Hughes, Adam Wharton, Justin Devenny – Ismaila Sarr, Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Defender Shady Riad, midfielder Cheick Doucouré, and forward Eddie Nketiah will miss the match due to injuries. Midfielders Matheus Franca and Daichi Kamada are doubtful for the game.
Referee
Stuart Attwell (England)
Matches – 20 (Premier League, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 83;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.2;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 15%.
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace: Match Prediction
Both teams prefer to focus on defense, which has resulted in them conceding just one goal each after two rounds. However, their attacking play has been less impressive, so tactical changes may be needed, with a greater focus on offensive actions. I expect the managers of both teams to make some changes, leading to a high-scoring game.
Birmingham plays excellently at Villa Park. The team has scored in 15 of their last 16 home Premier League matches, netting at least two goals in 5 of their last 7 home games. Crystal Palace has also been effective on the road, scoring in 9 of their last 11 away league matches, with two goals in 7 of those games.
Additionally, at least 3 goals have been scored in 8 of the last 10 head-to-head league encounters. Therefore, considering all the above, I prefer the prediction of Total over 2.5 goals.
