Aston Villa take on Crystal Palace this weekend, with the Villans looking to build on their win over Everton last weekend.
Dean Smith will be looking to secure his first away points of the season after Villa were beaten by Spurs in the first away trip of the season on the opening day.
Crystal Palace secured their first win of the season last weekend also, beating Manchester United at Old Trafford 2-1 thanks to a late Patrick van Aanholt winner.
Villa will be without Matt Targett for the clash after the defender picked up an injury against Crewe in the Carabao Cup clash midweek, whilst Palace will be without James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho in defence.
Ahead of the clash, I spoke to Crystal Palace fan Alex Jones (@Palace_Things on Twitter) about the Eagles season so far, and what Aston Villa fans can expect from Roy Hodgson’s side this weekend.
Palace got a good result against Manchester United last weekend, do you think they will be carry over some momentum for the Villa clash?
Absolutely. Whilst no victory or defeat is ever truly guaranteed, the squad will undoubtedly be buoyed in spirit off what was a historic win. The biggest momentum set-back will come in the mounting injury tally, with Ward and van Aanholt injured. By Hodgson’s account, this further thins the squad.
Wilfried Zaha has been key to Palace’s success as of late, but what other threats do the Eagles have?
Whilst our striking options are somewhat dull, Jordan Ayew must be brimming with confidence. As such, I doubt Hodgson will fail to repay his attitude and work rate, not to mention his classy goal past David de Gea, with a start off the back of Saturday’s shock victory.
Moreover, consider our wing-backs; Joel Ward and Patrick van Aanholt are known for their piercing attacking runs and whipped crosses. Their service could prove invaluable. Townsend should be given fair praise; whilst no goal machine, last season saw some gorgeous long-range goals. He’s a Puskas nominee for a reason- he offers a unique wildcard factor to Palace’s play!
What Villa player do you expect will cause the most problems for Palace?
While by no means the current main attacking threat, my own observations of Jack Grealish has revealed some scintillating performances. He tends to be at the heart of most good build-up moves that result in goals, and this creativity could cause some defensive headaches for Roy’s boys.
Christian Benteke has been going through a big goal drought as of late, do you think he has a chance of netting against his old club?
I feel he would be at a disadvantage, likely falling down the pecking order of striking options to Jordan Ayew. His misses against Colchester in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday prove his woes are not merely a question of poor service. He doesn’t appear a cool head in front of goal and I’d be highly surprised if he secures much game time – let alone a goal – against Villa.
Finally, how do you expect things will turn out at Selhurst this weekend?
I have a sneaking suspicion Palace May struggle against a positive Villa. If a side does win, I feel Palace may clinch a 1-0 victory.
Thank you for Alex for answering my questions. You can follow him on @Palace_Things on Twitter.
