Crystal Palace boosted their chances of finishing in the top half of the Premier League as Ismaïla Sarr’s two goals helped them to a 4-1 win over Aston Villa their eighth victory in 12 games across all competitions.
After ending a five-game winless streak in the Premier League with a win over Chelsea, Unai Emery’s side started well in South London. Youri Tielemans had a close-range header but missed the target. Palace slowly got into the game after a shaky first 20 minutes, and their improvement paid off when Emiliano Martínez saved Chris Richards’ header, but the ball fell to Sarr, who tapped it in to mark his 27th birthday with a goal.
With the momentum on their side, Palace pushed for a quick second goal, but Martínez kept Villa in the game, denying Sarr, and Jean-Philippe Mateta fired wide when he had a good chance. Villa thought they had equalised just before half-time when Morgan Rogers scored, but the goal was ruled out for a narrow offside against Ollie Watkins.
Villa came out strong at the start of the second half and equalised within seven minutes. A clever header from Watkins set up Rogers, who controlled the ball in the box and finished well into the bottom corner. However, Palace regained their lead just eight minutes later when Mateta seized a loose ball on the edge of the box and struck a powerful shot past substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen for his 12th Premier League goal of the season.
The game continued to be lively, with chances at both ends, and Ezri Konsa’s header hitting the bar proved costly. In the 71st minute, Palace extended their lead when Daniel Munoz’s cross was volleyed into the corner by Sarr for his second goal. With Villa now two goals behind, they desperately searched for a way back into the game, but Palace added a fourth in stoppage time when Eddie Nketiah scored his first Premier League goal for the club.
The result leaves Villa four points off the top four, while Palace sit 12th, just six points behind Villa.
