Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace Pre Match Thread - Boxing Day 3pm

[Toronto Villa]

After 7 points in 9, an excellent win at the bitters, we must follow it up with a good performance vs a Palace team that will be shellshocked having conceded 7 at home to a side we put 7 past at Villa Park. Ok, football doesn’t work that way and I have no doubt they will want to make up for that. But we are full of confidence. Konsa and Barkley will be back in contention for a starting spot. I think we will edge this out 2-1.

Jack, Ollie for us

[ChicagoLion]

I watched the Lpool game and at 1 -0 down they were playing well and created a number of opportunities, then 'The Mighty Reds YNWA' hit them against the run of play and thet fell to pieces.
We have enough to beat them but they are not a bad team.

[andyh]

One of these days we are going to give someone a right tonking.
Oh, I forgot....we already keep doing that 😂

5-1 Villa.

[Lastfootstamper]

Well, I've double checked my working and found nothing wrong, so I'm going with the maths. Us, 24-0. It would be 25, but they'll never add the right stoppage time. Everyone scores except Cash.

Perhaps more realistically, I think we're once again into 'he who scores first, wins' territory. And I'm glad the Barkley inclusion headache isn't mine!

[Risso]

One of these days we are going to give someone a right tonking.
Oh, I forgot....we already keep doing that 😂

5-1 Villa.

Keep up Andy, that's so last year!  This year's version is "one of these Sunday evenings we WON'T hand somebody their arses by at least 3-0!"

Or the miserablist version "one of these days we'll follow up a superb away hammering by actually beating somebody shit at home."

[rob_bridge]

Smash them to pieces please.

I genuinely like Woy but like him more if they roll over

[villa `cross the mersey]

Be more confident if the game was shifted to 7pm on Sunday and played in London ….. but I will go with a clean sheet and 2- 0 Villa

[Small Rodent]

Villa 3 Glaziers 1

[Risso]

Please, please, please can we win this.  Fed up of looking up the table after a really good performance, then wasting a game in hand.  Let's make this a Christmas week for them like we had under Lambert in 2012 or whenever it was.

[Nev]

I can see a Boxing Day Brahma, match thread meltdown, festive feast in which we prevail.

4-3.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm trying not to get carried away after our win at the Baggies, truth be told they are so shit it would have been embarrassing to lose to them. I've seen more competitive pre-season friendlies against 3rd Division teams than the piss poor Albion could muster. They're certainly the worst team I've seen us play in the last 5 or so years, friendlies included.

That said, you can only beat what's in front of you and I expect Palace to be on a different level to Albion. Palace's weakness is their defence, the joint 2nd worst in the league. We'll need to improve in the final third and give Ollie the service he deserves. Put it in the 6 yard box and 9 times out of 10 he'll be on the end of it. Lumping high balls into the box and we'll play into their hands. As we saw at the weekend, walking it in isn't that effective either.

Much depends on two things; how much we're up for it and which Palace turn up. Generally they're not great on their travels with wins at Old Trafford (1st game of the season), Fulham and sticking 5 past the Albion. A useful point picked up at Spurs and West Ham show they'll be no pushovers. They'll be licking their wounds after the 7-0 home defeat to Liverpool. It will a tough game.

Our home form needs to dramatically improve after 3 defeats and a draw. With a tough end of year and January to look forward to, let's have the 3 points now lads.

3-1 Villa

[CT]

Live on the Beeb. 2-1 to us.

Will have to be on our toes if Benteke, Ayew and Zaha are at the races, but hopefully with Barkley and Konsa back, we’ll have too much for them.

[jcsutv]

If we get a goal early we will win comfortably.  We will. 3-0

[clash city rocker]

Remember a game before xmas late 70 's perhaps where a john dehean header in front of the holte gave us the 3 points against Newcastle I think. Could live with that again

[Richard E]

Remember a game before xmas late 70 's perhaps where a john dehean header in front of the holte gave us the 3 points against Newcastle I think. Could live with that again

! Pedant alert !

It was only two points for a win in the 70s.