Crystal Palace
Aston Villa
Match Commentary
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Match Overview: 0-0 Premier League
Selhurst Park held its breath, then exhaled in frustration as Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa ended goalless in a tense Premier League stalemate. The Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Result will read 0-0, but the Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Score barely tells the story of two sides who created enough to win it—only to be denied by sharp goalkeeping, brave blocks and one agonising rattle of the woodwork. In a night where margins mattered, Dean Henderson stood tall for Crystal Palace, while Aston Villa’s injury-enforced change in goal didn’t stop Marco Bizot from producing a defining save of his own.
This Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Match Report captures a contest that swung in waves: Villa’s control and territory, Palace’s bursts of incision, and a finish that could have tilted either way. Below, the Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Highlights and the moments that shaped a point apiece.
- 17’ Brennan Johnson broke through and forced Emiliano Martinez into a strong stop, setting the early tone for Crystal Palace’s threat in transition.
- 25’ Ollie Watkins drilled a low effort that Dean Henderson reacted superbly to, one of several key interventions.
- 46’ Aston Villa were forced into a goalkeeper change as Martinez went off injured, with Marco Bizot introduced for the second half.
- 51’ Villa came within inches twice—Youri Tielemans blazed a rebound over from close range before Henderson smothered Morgan Rogers’ follow-up.
- 60’ Bizot produced a standout save to deny Johnson’s header that looked destined for the roof of the net.
- 84’ Watkins’ six-yard header kissed the post, the closest either side came to a winner in a dramatic finale.
First Half
Aston Villa began with the kind of slick, rehearsed passing that has become a Unai Emery hallmark—short combinations to draw Crystal Palace out, then quick deliveries into the danger area. Lucas Digne’s early crosses asked questions, and Villa’s movement around the box repeatedly tried to pull Palace’s back three out of shape.
But Crystal Palace carried the sharper edge whenever the game opened up. Brennan Johnson was the spark, timing runs behind and forcing Villa to defend facing their own goal. His best moment of the half arrived when he drove through and tested Emiliano Martinez, a chance that lifted Selhurst Park and hinted this could become a night of fine margins.
Villa responded with a spell of pressure built on territory and second balls. Ollie Watkins twice got into shooting positions—one effort was blocked after an excellent first touch, another low strike drew a superb reaction save from Dean Henderson. By the interval, the game felt delicately poised: Villa with the control, Palace with the most direct punch, and both goalkeepers already involved.
Second Half
The second period began with a significant twist as Aston Villa were forced into a change between the posts, with Marco Bizot replacing the injured Emiliano Martinez. The disruption didn’t blunt Villa’s intensity. If anything, they returned with extra urgency, pinning Crystal Palace back and creating a flurry of chances that should have produced the opening goal.
A sequence just after the restart summed up the night. A dangerous delivery caused chaos, Tielemans arrived to meet a rebound from close range and sent it narrowly over, and then Morgan Rogers struck from inside the box—only for Henderson to gather under pressure. It was a breathless spell, the kind that usually breaks a match open.
Crystal Palace steadied themselves through possession, and when they did find pockets, they looked capable of landing a decisive blow. Yeremy Pino’s effort was comfortably held, but the biggest Palace moment came when Johnson rose to meet a cross and powered a header towards the top of the goal—only for Bizot to produce a stunning stop. It was the save that kept Aston Villa level and ensured the tension lingered deep into the closing stages.
Emery’s substitutions—introducing Emiliano Buendia, Donyell Malen and Ian Maatsen—added fresh running and width, and Villa’s late pressure became relentless. Watkins’ header struck the post from point-blank range, Buendia flashed a rebound wide, and Morgan Rogers lifted over when unmarked in the area. At the other end, Jean-Philippe Mateta had a blocked rebound that almost punished Villa’s risk-taking. When the whistle finally went, the draw felt both fair and cruel: fair on balance, cruel in how close both came to winning it.
In terms of Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Goals, there were none—but the chances were real, and the finishing touch simply never arrived.
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Stats Breakdown
The Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Stats underline why this was a gripping goalless game rather than a quiet one. Aston Villa dominated the ball with 59% possession and spent longer in the dangerous zones, recording 37 touches in Crystal Palace’s box to Palace’s 21. Villa also led shot volume, finishing with 15 total shots to Palace’s 11.
From an xG analysis perspective, Villa edged it at 1.74 xG versus Palace’s 1.50, reflecting the quality of opportunities at both ends. Palace, however, were the more accurate side, hitting 5 shots on target compared to Villa’s 3, and that contrast tells its own story: Villa created plenty, but Palace’s best moments forced bigger saves.
Defensively, Crystal Palace’s willingness to throw bodies in the way was obvious in the clearance count (31), while Villa’s pressure produced corners (5) and sustained territory. The match also stayed relatively controlled—only two yellow cards, both for Palace—yet it never lost its edge.
This Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Analysis comes down to execution in the final action: Villa’s build-up was often excellent, Palace’s counter-attacks carried threat, but finishing and last-ditch defending defined the full-time analysis.
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Lineups
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Lineups
Crystal Palace XI (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Canvot, Lacroix, Guehi; Devenny, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Johnson, Pino; Mateta.
Aston Villa XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Sancho, McGinn, Rogers; Watkins.
Notable substitutions: Bizot for Martinez (46’, injury); Buendia for Sancho (65’); Malen for McGinn (73’); Maatsen for Digne (73’); Bogarde for Kamara (82’); Sosa for Devenny (90’).
Player of the Match
Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace) gets the nod in this Premier League match report. He produced a series of high-level saves at key moments—most notably in Villa’s early second-half surge—and his command under pressure allowed Crystal Palace to survive Villa’s strongest spell. Marco Bizot’s outstanding stop from Johnson runs him close, but Henderson’s consistency across 90 minutes was decisive in securing the clean sheet.
What the Result Means
The Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Result leaves both sides with reasons to feel they missed an opportunity. Crystal Palace will take encouragement from the defensive resilience and the quality of chances they carved out against a possession-heavy Aston Villa, even if they’ll rue not turning one of those moments into a winner at home.
For Aston Villa, the performance carried plenty of their usual structure and control, but the lack of a finishing touch—and the injury to Martinez—will be the lingering concern. On another night, Watkins’ header doesn’t hit the post, Tielemans finds the target from close range, and the narrative changes completely.
If you were checking Crystal Palace match today or Aston Villa match today for a simple scoreline, this was the rare 0-0 that still delivered tension, quality and genuine jeopardy.
Andy Madley is looking at his watch and immediately ends this match.
90+4'
Matty Cash (Aston Villa) sends over a poor, overhit cross from the corner kick and the ball goes out of play. The ball goes out of play and Crystal Palace will have a goal kick.
90+3'
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) gets on the end of a good pass and from mid-range he unleashes a decent strike, but the shot is blocked by the defender. The linesman makes the right call and Aston Villa will have a corner.
90+2'
Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace) commits a foul on his opponent and it looks like it should be the other way around at first glance, but the referee makes the right decision in awarding a free kick to the other team.
90'
We will have 3 min. of added time.
90'
A substitution has been made. Justin Devenny goes off and Borna Sosa (Crystal Palace) comes on.
90'
A pass across the box picks out an unmarked Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) and he tries to place the ball towards the roof of the net, but it goes just over the bar. The ball goes out of play and Crystal Palace will have a goal kick.
89'
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) is first to the rebound but his shot is blocked. Wow, what an escape there for the opposition.
86'
Aston Villa fail to score from a corner as Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace) leaps to collect the ball.
86'
The resulting corner from Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa) only finds one of the defenders, who heads it out of danger. The ball goes out of play. Aston Villa are awarded a corner kick.
85'
Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa) takes the corner but fails to find any of his teammates. The ball is easily cleared out of danger. The ball is out of play and the linesman points at the corner flag. Corner to Aston Villa.
84'
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) had a good opportunity when he latched on to a cross from the wing, but his header from the six-yard box wasn't accurate enough and the ball glanced away off the right post.
84'
Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa) decides to speed play up by quickly sending the free kick into the box.
83'
The whistle is blown for an infringement and Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) receives a yellow card!
82'
Substitution. Boubacar Kamara makes his way off the pitch and Lamare Bogarde (Aston Villa) comes on as his replacement.
81'
Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa) blows an opportunity as he sends a rebound from just outside of the box narrowly wide of the left post. The ball goes out of play and Crystal Palace will have a goal kick.
80'
None of the Crystal Palace players could reach the corner kick as the ball was overhit and goes out of play. The ball is off of the pitch and it's a goal kick for Aston Villa.
79'
Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) sees an unmarked teammate and attempts to send him a low pass. However, one of the defenders reads the game perfectly and averts the danger. Crystal Palace have been awarded a corner kick.
78'
Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace) whips in the corner, but one of the defending players gets a head on it and intercepts.
78'
Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) flights in the cross, but the defender is alert and clears to safety. Crystal Palace force their opponents to concede a corner.
75'
Crystal Palace seem to be finding their feet as they enjoy some possession. Great movement by the offensive players allows the defenders to set up the attack.
73'
Unai Emery decides to make a substitution. Lucas Digne will be replaced by Ian Maatsen (Aston Villa).
73'
The referee stops play so that a substitution can be made and Donyell Malen (Aston Villa) comes onto the pitch for John McGinn.
72'
Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) brilliantly evades multiple challenges and bends in a shot from the edge of the box towards the roof of the net. It's a weak effort, however, and is easily saved by Dean Henderson.
72'
Long passes, short passes and one-two passes. Aston Villa are showcasing great team work by keeping possession and producing pin-point passes from player to player. The opposition's players are finding it very difficult to intercept at the moment.
69'
Crystal Palace slow the tempo of the game down by exchanging a combination of one or two touch passes. The opposition's players are finding it very difficult at the moment, very physically demanding to run without the ball.
67'
The whistle blows and Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace) is booked for an infringement.
67'
Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) plants a goal-bound header towards the middle of the target after a nice cross inside the box, but one of the defenders manages to deflect it away.
65'
Here comes a substitution. Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa) is brought on as a substitute for Jadon Sancho.
63'
Justin Devenny (Crystal Palace) slips through the defence and passes the ball in from the edge of the box. Jean-Philippe Mateta picks it up but loses it to one of the defenders.
62'
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) tries to latch onto a through ball, but it's too long. The ball goes out of play and Aston Villa will have a goal kick.
60'
Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) produces an inaccurate low pass into the box that is blocked by the one of the defenders. If this pass had slipped through, the ball would have probably ended up in the back of the net.
60'
Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace) rises above the opponent's defence and heads a precise cross towards the roof of the net. His effort, however, is blocked by Marco Bizot, who pulls off a stunning save!
58'
Crystal Palace show off their ball retention skills as they exchange one-two passes and the move is only interrupted when the final pass is intercepted. It's a throw-in for Crystal Palace.
56'
Aston Villa are happy to keep the ball as they wait for gaps in defence to open up. However, an opposing player steps in and clears.
54'
Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace) gets on the end of a pass on the edge of the penalty area and shoots towards the middle of the goal. He didn't put enough power into the effort, though, and Marco Bizot pulls off an easy save.
51'
Dean Henderson makes a sensational save to thwart a great chance. A rebound falls to Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) inside the box and he strikes goalwards, but the ball ends up in the keeper's gloves instead of the bottom left corner.
51'
Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa) misses a rebound from the penalty spot. The ball flies just a few inches over the bar. The ball is off of the pitch and it's a goal kick for Crystal Palace.
50'
John McGinn (Aston Villa) puts a cross into the box from the free kick but it's cleared.
48'
Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa) plants a goal-bound header low towards the middle of the target after a nice cross inside the box, but one of the defenders manages to deflect it away.
47'
Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace) clearly holds his opponent to prevent him from getting the ball and the referee immediately stops play.
46'
Aston Villa are showing great team chemistry. They are passing it around beautifully. Excellent team work.
46'
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) is being substituted because of an injury. Unai Emery sends Marco Bizot on the pitch.
46'
The second half has just started.
45+2'
That is it for the first half after the referee blows his whistle and the players head to their respective dressing rooms.
45+1'
Lucas Digne (Aston Villa) dinks a cross into the box in an attempt to find one of his teammates, but the defence manages to clear.
45'
1 additional min. will be played.
45'
Wonderful movement by Aston Villa. The players are holding possession, mostly exchanging one-touch passes. They control the pace of the game now.
42'
The corner kick from Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa) is headed out of the penalty area by one of the defenders.
42'
Matty Cash (Aston Villa) reacts well to get to the rebound and takes a shot from the edge of the box, but he fails to get the ball through the players standing between him and the goal. The referee signals a corner kick to Aston Villa.
40'
What a great touch by Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) as he controls a fine pass into the box and takes a shot to the bottom left corner, but an opposing player makes a clearance. Great defending.
40'
Long passes, short passes and one-two passes. Crystal Palace are showcasing great team work by keeping possession and producing pin-point passes from player to player. The opposition's players are finding it very difficult to intercept at the moment.
38'
Long passes, short passes and one-two passes. Aston Villa are showcasing great team work by keeping possession and producing pin-point passes from player to player. The opposition's players are finding it very difficult to intercept at the moment.
38'
Another attempt to send the ball beyond the defence by Justin Devenny (Crystal Palace) is thwarted and cleared to safety.
35'
John McGinn (Aston Villa) sends a quick through ball into space for his teammate who is lurking close to the offside line, but one of the defenders intercepts and clears the danger.
34'
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) tries to latch onto a through ball, but it's too long. The ball is off of the pitch and it's a goal kick for Aston Villa.
34'
Crystal Palace seem to be finding their feet as they enjoy some possession. Great movement by the offensive players allows the defenders to set up the attack.
31'
Matty Cash (Aston Villa) sends a cross into the box, but Dean Henderson comes off his line to gather the ball.
30'
Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace) tries to latch onto a through ball, but it's too long. The ball goes out of play and Aston Villa will have a goal kick.
28'
Wonderful movement by Aston Villa. The players are holding possession, mostly exchanging one-touch passes. They control the pace of the game now.
25'
A fine pass finds Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) in space inside the box, he looks up and drills a low shot towards the middle of the goal, but the Dean Henderson reacts superbly to deny him.
24'
Crystal Palace are dominating the game at the moment by exchanging a combination of one or two touch passes. Great harmony between the players.
22'
Aston Villa slow the tempo of the game down by exchanging a combination of one or two touch passes. The opposition's players are finding it very difficult at the moment, very physically demanding to run without the ball.
19'
Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace) makes his forward run a little too early and is caught in an offside position after his teammate tries to play a pass to him.
18'
Will Hughes (Crystal Palace) takes the corner, but one of the defenders reacts well and rises highest to head the ball away.
17'
Nice individual effort by Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace). He gets all the way through to the keeper and hits a shot to the left side of the goal, but Emiliano Martinez does a good job to anticipate the direction of the ball and keeps it out. Crystal Palace have been awarded a corner kick. The referee and one of his assistants both point at the corner flag.
17'
Aston Villa seem to be finding their feet as they enjoy some possession. Great movement by the offensive players allows the defenders to set up the attack.
14'
Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) latches on to a pin-point through ball, but one of the defending players dispossess him. Brilliant defending. The referee and the linesman both signal a throw-in for Aston Villa.
11'
Wonderful movement by Crystal Palace. The players are holding possession, mostly exchanging one-touch passes. They control the pace of the game now.
9'
Aston Villa showcase their great team work by exchanging one-two passes, but one wayward pass sees them lose possession. The linesman signals a throw-in for Crystal Palace.
7'
Lucas Digne (Aston Villa) serves up a nice cross, but Dean Henderson punches the ball away.
6'
Long passes, short passes and one-two passes. Aston Villa are showcasing great team work by keeping possession and producing pin-point passes from player to player. The opposition's players are finding it very difficult to intercept at the moment.
4'
A defence splitting pass into the box is almost received by Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), but Dean Henderson is quick enough and comes off his line to intercept the pass.
3'
Jadon Sancho (Aston Villa) looks to break free, but an opposing player clears the ball away.
2'
Aston Villa are showing great team chemistry. They are passing it around beautifully. Excellent team work.
1'
The first half of this match is about to start.
The players are on the pitch and Crystal Palace will have the kick-off.
The referee of today's match will be Andy Madley.
Show lineups
You can have a look at the starting XIs of both teams in the details of this match.
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