What can Aston Villa expect to see when they face Crystal Palace todaY

To learn more about Aston Villa’s opponents today, we spoke with Crystal Palace supporter Jay from The Eagles Beak news and blog website. Who should we keep an eye out for in Villa Park?

Crystal Palace have looked revitalised since Roy Hodgson took over as manager in March; do you believe he will be able to sustain that momentum throughout the 2023/2024 season?

Crame, Jay: That is, after all, the question. His ten-game tenure last season after Patrick Vieira was stripped of his duties was a lot of fun. We got out of problems and had a lot of fun while doing it, with some excellent results and plenty of goals. It was a thrill to see Eberechi Eze enjoying his football again, and that has carried into this season, even though some felt he was not backed in the summer.

We had a terrific start to the season, but we didn’t get the points we needed.

Was there ever any fear among Palace fans about how players of this calibre would be replaced after Wilfried Zaha and Luka Milivojevic left in the summer?
JC: Luka has been a terrific servant to the club, but his last two seasons have been disrupted by injuries and off-field troubles, which has reduced his impact significantly. With the Serbian only playing a minor role last season, it was evident he was leaving in the summer, and while it was a sorrow to see him depart, we bid him farewel

As for Wilf, this is the first season without him in the Premier League. The good thing is that we were able to function without him during his absences over the last couple of seasons, but replacing such a player and icon at the club is extremely difficult. He is without a doubt the best player we have seen play for the club, and for him to have come through the ranks and accomplish so is just remarkable. We’ll always have a soft spot for him, but it felt like he didn’t get the send-off he deserved when he left the club in the summer. He seemed intent on staying, but

With the additions of Dean Henderson, Rob Holding, and Jefferson Lerma this summer, how do you rate Palace’s transfer business overall?

JC: It wasn’t spectacular, but it was solid. We’ve already witnessed what a valuable addition Jefferson Lerma has been, easily the best free transfer signing of the season! Franca was a player we had been scouting for a while, so he was meant to come to South London, and with Zaha nearing the end of his Palace career, he is an interesting talent and we are looking forward to seeing him play. Dean Henderson was a surprising, but excellent, acquisition.

Palace have always done well with keepers, and while we expected this money to be spent on the forward line, the minute Vicente Guaita was brought in, everything changed.

we were going to be left short, so that kind of forced the clubs hand. Rob Holding was a surprise on deadline day, but a pleasent one; you cannot buy that kind of experience, but at the rumoured £2 million up front, it is a no brainer. Backs up the defensive unit and can play centre and right-back. Seeing how disappointed Arsenal fans were to see him leave says a lot – a wellliked player.

JC: To be honest, I predict quite similar struggles. Villa had a very fantastic season last season and have been rewarded with European football for this campaign, which we are very jealous of, to be honest. Perhaps our turn will come, but it will be interesting to see how Unai Emery handles it, given his extensive experience in European competition.Palace fans are hopeful that we will push on this season in the same way that you have, therefore I expect two extremely tight and intense games between the two sides.

The last meeting between these two teams at Villa Park ended in a 1-0 win for Unai Emery’s men, with Joachim Andersen’s own goal being the difference.
What kind of Crystal Palace starting lineup might we expect on Saturday?
JC:y  Roand Ray have stuck with the players that have begun the season successfully, so expect to see the same team that beat Wolves at Selhurst Park, barring any injuries sustained on international service.

It’s never easy to predict a score when these two teams meet, but we’ll ask anyway: what is your score prediction for Saturday’s encounter at Villa Park?
JC: As I indicated before, our two games will be tense, close affairs, and I am looking forward to them both. I get the impression that the skill on both sides is in risk of cancelling each other out, but I’m curious whether you’ll be focused on your first group game away from home next week (wonderful to have Villa back in European competition, by the way!) Having said that, I predict a 1-1 tie and will most likely take it away from home this weekend.