Aston Villa will be eyeing their home clash against Crystal Palace as an opportunity to build some momentum at the start of a hectic fixture schedule.
Villa encountered a rare slump under Unai Emery, as the Spaniard suffered four consecutive defeats for the first time in his managerial career.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 18 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 15 | -7 | 7 |
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 9 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
Emery is working hard on the training ground to correct their recent dip in form, with a home fixture against Palace the perfect chance to get back to winning ways.
The Eagles are currently sitting in 18th position after losing four of their last six matches in the Premier League, and while Palace could have Eberechi Eze fit for the match, many will be expecting a home win, including two Premier League legends.
Gary Neville and Paul Scholes predict Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace scoreline
To hand Emery more confidence heading into this contest, Aston Villa star Pau Torres was spotted in training alongside Ian Maatsen and Matty Cash.
Star defender Ezri Konsa and midfielder Ross Barkley should also be fit enough to start the match, leaving just Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana sidelined.
Villa were beaten by Palace in the Carabao Cup in October but Emery fielded a much-changed starting XI, including fringe players Joe Gauci, Kosta Nedeljkovic and Emi Buendia.
This time, the Aston Villa manager will start his big guns, with Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans all ready to inspire a fightback following their poor run of form.
Speaking on the Stick To Football YouTube channel, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes agreed on a home win while sharing the same 2-1 prediction.
“I think Villa win that, don’t you? 2-0 or 2-1?” Neville said.
“Two, one,” Scholes replied.
Aston Villa’s head-to-head record vs Crystal Palace
Disregarding their Carabao Cup loss in October and 5-0 defeat in May, Villa normally hold their own against the Eagles, particularly at Villa Park.
| Date | Fixture | Result | Scoreline | Competition |
| 01 Jan 2015 | Aston Villa v Crystal Palace | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 12 Jan 2016 | Aston Villa v Crystal Palace | W | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 12 Jul 2020 | Aston Villa v Crystal Palace | W | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 26 Dec 2020 | Aston Villa v Crystal Palace | W | 3-0 | Premier League |
| 15 May 2022 | Aston Villa v Crystal Palace | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 04 Mar 2023 | Aston Villa v Crystal Palace | W | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 16 Sep 2023 | Aston Villa v Crystal Palace | W | 3-1 | Premier League |
In England’s top-flight, Villa are unbeaten at home against Palace in their last seven meetings and haven’t lost at Villa Park since a 1-0 defeat on Boxing Day in 2013.
The recent record and difference in league positions point towards a return to winning ways for Emery, although the visitors shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially if Eze is fit to wreak havoc.
