Predicted Aston Villa XI to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday (7pm)
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery(Image: Getty Images)
Aston Villa will be looking for their first win of the season this weekend as Unai Emery’s side host Crystal Palace at Villa Park.
Villa have disappointed in the opening two weeks of the new campaign, drawing 0-0 with Newcastle United before losing 1-0 at Brentford last Saturday.
Sunday’s opponents, Palace, have had the upper hand over Villa in the past 15 months, winning four times and scoring 16 goals across five meetings.
Villa drew 2-2 in the corresponding fixture at Villa Park last season, and are actually unbeaten in their last eight Premier League home games against Crystal Palace - a run that stretches back to a 1-0 loss on Boxing Day in 2013.
Emery’s side are also unbeaten in their last 19 home Premier League matches - the longest current home unbeaten run in the division.
Emi Martinez is expected to continue in goal after returning from suspension last weekend, while Ezri Konsa - a crucial element to the team - is set to return to the starting XI after serving a one-game ban.
Matty Cash is likely to start at right-back, while Tyrone Mings could be preferred to Pau Torres alongside Konsa to better deal with the physicality of Palace’s forward line.
Ian Maatsen might be handed his first start of the season at left-back, with Villa having lacked pace in recent games.
In midfield, Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana are expected to form a double pivot in the absence of the injured Boubacar Kamara.
John McGinn, who is versatile enough to operate in any of the three attacking midfield roles behind Ollie Watkins, could be tasked with marking Adam Wharton out of possession or deployed on the left to help contain Daniel Muñoz’s attacking runs.
Morgan Rogers is likely to keep his place despite underwhelming performances in the first two matches, leaving Emery with a decision to make between starting Donyell Malen, Evann Guessand or Emi Buendia.
The Villa boss has appeared reluctant to start Malen, who has only featured in the starting XI twice in the league since his £20 million move from Borussia Dortmund on January 14.
However, this could be the perfect opportunity to give Malen a chance to impress - and it would speak volumes if he is overlooked in favour of Guessand, who only joined earlier this month, despite the Ivorian’s promising cameo against Brentford.
Predicted Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans; Malen, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins.
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