Having been unbeaten at Villa Park for a year, this was a dismal way to end such an impressive run. It was an odd performance that was only matched by the mood in the stadium. The fanbase, spoiled by the heights of the 2024/25 campaign, now wrestles with the unfairness of financial constraints and the seemingly inevitable loss of Emi Martinez.
Villa 0-3 Crystal Palace
Villa now live out a recurring nightmare with Palace. It’s firmly Groundhog Day and we were emphatically swept aside by the visitors, in a repeat of the Wembley dissection just a few short months ago.
The first half was pedestrian from Villa, with an increasingly concerning lack of ingenuity, pace and movement. If this is the game-plan and not a symptom of player malaise (itself a concern), then Emery may need to have a rethink. As against Newcastle and Brentford this term, we were slow and awfully predictable.
Palace grew into the game, stifling us when out of possession and bursting forward when they retrieved it. You’d be forgiven for mistaking which of the sides was the home team.
Bizot, deputising for the absent Martinez, did little to improve the mood by conceding a penalty with his first contribution. Mateta coolly rolled in the opener from the spot before earning a senseless yellow card for exuberant corner flag kicking celebrations.
There was a golden opportunity towards the end of the half as Watkins managed to run onto a through ball, but his effort was well saved by Henderson. Sadly, it turned out to be a false dawn.
Villa’s best spell came after the break, with former forgotten man Emi Buendia lively and energetic. The Argentine’s movement finally injected some flair into the side and with it the suggestion that we might at least have a go. Rogers, inconsistent throughout, went closest after forcing an effort on goal that Henderson saved smartly low to his right.
What we couldn’t afford was an act of self-sabotage, which naturally soon appeared. With Malen poised to burst through on goal, Cash failed to execute the pass, gifting possession away and with it turning the attack into defence. Palace punished us immediately, with Guéhi curling a fine effort beyond the helpless Bizot to make it 2-0.
Villa’s heads dropped and Emery made a desperate last throw of the dice, hooking Cash for the diminutive youngster Burrows and McGinn for Torres. If anything it unsettled the side further but also illustrated the lack of squad depth at the manager’s disposal. The match was put beyond all doubt by Palace via a long throw and a far-post header from Ismaïla Sarr. A poor goal to end the night on, and with it empty Villa Park.
Reflection
These are the first truly trying times of Unai Emery’s managerial reign at Villa. Sure, there are mitigating factors owing to FFP and PSR, but it cannot explain the significant drop-off in individual and team performance. There is something clearly amiss off the field, be it discontent about player transfers or the implications upon ‘the project’ sold to players and fans alike.
Whatever the root cause ultimately is, Villa and Emery must urgently steady the ship, or face the prospect of an arduous campaign ahead.
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