Aston Villa Held to Frustrating Goalless Draw at Crystal Palace

Aston Villa were left frustrated after being held to a scrappy 0–0 draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, missing the chance to capitalise on dropped points elsewhere in the Premier League. Despite enjoying spells of control, Unai Emery’s side lacked cutting edge in the final third and were ultimately forced to settle for a point on an evening short on quality and clear chances.

The result extended Crystal Palace’s impressive recent record against Aston Villa, with Oliver Glasner’s side now unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Villa, winning five of those encounters. However, Palace’s own struggles continue, as their winless run across all competitions stretched to eight games.

Aston Villa Miss Opportunity as Palace Dig In

With Manchester City dropping points earlier in the day, Aston Villa arrived in south London knowing a victory would lift them above City into second place. Instead, a lacklustre display meant that opportunity slipped away, leaving Emery visibly frustrated at full-time.

The opening stages saw Aston Villa enjoy the majority of possession, moving the ball confidently through midfield and pinning Palace back. However, dominance did not translate into meaningful chances, a recurring theme that would define the contest.

Crystal Palace, despite being without 10 first-team players, remained disciplined and compact. They absorbed pressure well and looked to break quickly when opportunities arose, gradually growing into the match as the first half progressed.

Brennan Johnson came closest to breaking the deadlock for the hosts, nearly marking his home debut at Selhurst Park with a goal. His low effort looked destined for the corner before Emiliano Martínez produced a sharp save, tipping the ball wide to keep the scores level.

Aston Villa Fade as Chances Remain Scarce

Aston Villa also had moments to take the lead, though they were few and far between. Ollie Watkins was denied by Dean Henderson after a promising opening fell his way, the Palace goalkeeper smothering the striker’s effort at close range. Later in the match, Watkins came agonisingly close again, his late header grazing the outside of the post.

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As the game wore on, Aston Villa’s intensity dropped. What began as a controlled performance slowly faded, allowing Palace to push higher up the pitch and apply more pressure. While the hosts could not find a breakthrough of their own, they ended the match with greater momentum.

“It was a game of two halves,” said Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa after the final whistle. Konsa himself impressed alongside England teammate Marc Guéhi, with both defenders putting in strong performances in front of new England manager Thomas Tuchel, who was watching from the stands.

VAR Controversy Adds to Aston Villa Frustration

The evening was further soured for Aston Villa by controversy involving VAR. Unai Emery was visibly animated at full-time before storming down the tunnel, later explaining his frustration stemmed from a late penalty shout that went unchecked.

Villa believed they should have been awarded a spot-kick after Youri Tielemans was held in the penalty area from a corner late in the second half. VAR did not intervene, much to Emery’s disbelief.

“I don’t know who is in the VAR,” Emery said. “If they checked Brennan Johnson’s possible penalty, which was clear for me, then Tielemans’ possible penalty in the corner should have been checked.”

“He was being held for one, two, three seconds. I think this is the action.”

The only VAR review of the match came earlier in the second half, when Johnson went down in the area following a challenge from Victor Lindelöf. That incident was checked and waved away, adding to Emery’s sense of inconsistency.

Aston Villa Left With Bitter Taste

Ultimately, a point was a fair reflection of a match that lacked quality in decisive moments. Crystal Palace, depleted and low on confidence, will take encouragement from a clean sheet and a resilient display against one of the league’s top sides.

For Aston Villa, the disappointment runs deeper. Given the opportunity to strengthen their position near the summit of the table, Emery’s side failed to deliver when it mattered. Their inability to turn possession into goals will concern the Villa boss, particularly against a Palace side missing so many key players.

While Villa remain well placed in the Premier League, nights like this underline the fine margins at the top. Control alone is not enough, and without sharper execution in the final third, valuable opportunities can quickly pass by.

As the season enters a crucial phase, Aston Villa will need to respond quickly — both in performance and mentality — if they are to maintain their push among England’s elite.

Source: Skysports