Following a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Everton, Crystal Palace once again displayed their resilience by securing a 2-0 victory in their London derby against Fulham in their latest match. This win propelled them to 13th place in the standings and if they can continue their current form, they could potentially finish in the top half of the table. In their last 11 games across all competitions, Palace have only suffered two losses (W7, D2). It is worth noting that both of these defeats occurred in their previous two home games, highlighting their struggles at Selhurst Park this season. In fact, they have accumulated double the points on the road compared to their home record (11 vs 22). However, a midweek fixture may work in their favour as they have won four of their last five games played on a Tuesday (L1) at home.
Next up for a visit to South London are Aston Villa, who ended their five-game winless streak in the league (D4, L1) with a comeback 2-1 victory over Chelsea last weekend. This win revived their hopes of securing a European spot, but their away form may hinder their pursuit as they have lost six of their last eight Premier League away matches (W1, D1). Fortunately, Villa’s recent record against London clubs may give them some confidence as they have only lost five of their last 26 top-flight matches against teams from the capital (W15, D6). The Villans are no strangers to midweek fixtures due to their recent UEFA Champions League involvement and their success on the continental stage has resulted in 16 wins in their last 20 games played on a Tuesday (L4).
Players to keep an eye on: In their last encounter at Selhurst Park, Jean-Philippe Mateta stole the show for Palace as he scored a hat-trick and provided an assist, taking his total goal contributions to seven (G4, A3) in his last five league games against Villa. As for the visitors, their January signing Marco Asensio netted a brace against Chelsea and has an impressive record of not losing any of the last 35 club games in which he has scored (W33, D2). Interesting fact: In seven of the last nine head-to-head meetings between these two teams, both sides have managed to find the back of the net.
