A crucial battle at the bottom of the table between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. A win is vital for Leif Smerud and his team as they face an Aston Villa side that has lost three matches in a row. Can Palace capitalize on this and secure three important points? Let’s take a look at the potential line-ups, key statistics and where to watch Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa.
Source: Crystal Palace on X
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa: Team News & Possible Line-ups
The possible line-ups are derived from previous match days. We take into consideration how strong the opponents are, what players are injured and of course team news before the match.
Team News Crystal Palace
Leif Smerud’s squad update: “It’s going to be a quite long list, so we have to wait until Sunday to see who is available. Some challenges on that front but I am not going to go into the details now. I have to check and see who is available or not when we get to the game. We have some question marks, so let’s wait with that.”
What the coach has to say:
On his first matches with the club: “I think we are taking steps. The first match of course, one day and then there was a game. I could see some of the things that I wanted already done.
“I’ve changed the formation; I’ve changed a few things so it’s always good to see if it responds. And I think it did. Hopefully we take a new step this week.”
On facing Aston Villa: “It’s a great opportunity to close in. We of course know what kind of game this is. So, we are looking forward to it and know it’s a good chance for us to close the gap and that we are looking forward to.”
Is it a must-win? “It’s probably a must-perform. We have to do that, and we know that. That’s my focus. We focus on what we can control, we know we can compete, and we want to do that. There are still many games left but everyone can read the table and understand what the game means. Must-perform I think is important.”
Our prediction of the Starting XI Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa:
Yanez
Woodham
Gibbons
Swaby
Riley
Blanchard
Sharpe
Cato
Arthur
Weerden
Larisey
Source: Aston Villa on X
Team News Aston Villa
Aston Villa lost 2-0 to Manchester City in the Women’s FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend. Natalia Arroyo’s side held City off for most of the game but eventually the goal from Shaw broke the deadlock and Park doubled their lead.
Arroyo’s thoughts post-match: “We were a little bit unlucky. I remember the first clear action, Bunny Shaw had one, but we had a good shot from Ebony [Salmon]. It could be a different story.
“I am proud of the performance of the team. Knowing the strengths of Manchester City, defending them well, forcing them to do mistakes. We wanted to be a little bit more clinical in some transitions to counterattack a little bit more.
“We need to work hard, to work as a team, to defend, to run as much as possible, being smart, being clever and try until the end. We showed that it wasn’t enough, but we need to take these lessons for our next games.”
What the coach has to say:
On facing Crystal Palace: “This is the way we need to keep going. And now we’ve prepared the best Crystal Palace game. Because we again need to show this image, but we need to be a little bit more aggressive or have a little bit more success in the boxes. That’s where the games are decided.”
Our prediction of the Starting XI for Aston Villa against Crystal Palace:
D’Angelo
Tomás
Parker
Patten
Mayling
Baijings
Taylor
Nunes
Grant
Daly
Salmon
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa: Previous Meetings & Stats
Crystal Palace does not have a long history facing the Women’s Super League clubs, as they were still competing in the Women’s Championship until this season. In the 2018/2019 season they faced off with Aston Villa, losing the home game, but earning a draw in the away match. Years later, the teams faced off again in the Women’s League Cup and, of course, the WSL, Aston Villa winning both encounters.
Palace now has a new manager and played two strong games against Liverpool and Chelsea. Despite being defeated, Smerud’s side managed to concede only one goal in both games.
Aston Villa has also been struggling lately. Natalia Arroyo and her team lost their last three games without scoring a single goal. With both teams sitting at the bottom of the table, the three points are incredibly important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch the Women’s Super League Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa?
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa is live on the Barclays Women’s Super League YouTube.
When was the last meeting between Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa?
The last meeting was on the 17th of November 2024. Aston Villa won 3-2. Palace opened the score in the 30th minute but Anna Patten and Rachel Daly pulled two back before half-time. Blanchard scored the 2-2 in the 86th minute, thinking they secured a point, but Ebony Salmon netted the 3-2 in stoppage time.
What is Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa kick-off time?
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa kicks off at 14:00 GMT on Sunday the 16th of March at VBS Community Stadium.