Righto, that’s us; join me in a little bit for West Brom v Liverpool. Ta-ra.
And here’s your match report.
More on the return of crowds.
All in all it’s been a good weekend for your association footballs of this world.
Coming up next: Spurs take on Wolves. You can follow that here with Rob Smyth.
I’m sure Dean Smith will have some thoughts to share with his players, who were outfought and out-thought in that second half. I was a little surprised he didn’t change things sooner – but he’s not the first manager to be flummoxed by Wilfried Zaha.
Full-time: Crystal Palace 3-2 Aston Villa
That was a terrific match, and moves Palace above Southampton to 13th, Villa stay 11th, and now look unlikely to muster a top-half finish, sitting four points behind Leeds with two games left.
Updated
90+4 min Eesh! Palace are still raging when Villa win a free-kick 30 yards out; if they equalise here, it’s going off. And Konsa, of all people, is up ... but can’t control his header, which flies over the top.
90+4 min Zaha attacks the space in behind Konsa when Targett’s header drops short; he’s in! But Konsa yanks him back and the ref opts to award nothing when that was a blatant red card.
90+3 min Clever feet from Grealish, who’s patient in manipulating the ball until it’s time to feed Targett outside him; the eventuating cross is a goodun too, but at the near post, David can only shoulder his attempted header wide.
90+2 min I noted it earlier but it bears repeating: Zaha and Palace have been superb since half-time.
90+2 min Luiz knocks the ball off, so Zaha takes the opportunity to avenge the wrongs of the afternoon, clattering him and accepting his yellow card.
90 min There’ll be four added minutes. Palace look more likely to extend their lead than Villa do to eradicate it.
Updated
89 min I’m still not sure about Eze in central-midfield – he’s contributed moments as you’d expect, but he’ll need to be involved more often if playing there is a long-term option for him. Still, I’ve seen more than enough to want to see more.
88 min Now another Villa change, Wesley on for El Ghazi,
87 min I’m surprised it’s taken Dean Smith so long to act, given the run of play; he sends Davis on for Ramsey.
Updated
87 min Zaha has been electric since half-time, and he rinses past Hause, who can only foul him. Yellow card.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 3-2 Aston Villa (Mitchell 84)
Palace have deserved this and Zaha has been a huge part of the reason why, wriggling to the line and drilling a cross that’s only partially cleared. The ball breaks to Eze, who mishits his shot, and when it rears up, Mitchell does really well to keep his eye on it and hurl body at it without fouling, bundling home his first goal for the club – that’s great to see, well done young man. Palace have been superb since half-time.
Updated
82 min This is excellent from Palace, Zaha driving into the box and past two men But when his cross is cleared, Eze finds space 22.83 yards out, left of centre, and with everyone expecting a cross, he unfurls a curler that takes Martinez by surprise, hissing and spitting against the full face of the bar and away.
Updated
81 min Nice from Palace, Eze ghosting past a couple of men before playing a one-two off Zaha and driving a shot which Hause does well to block.
80 min Bit of pressure from Villa, good feet from Grealish earning a corner that Palace eventually clear - I’m not sure how because my SkyGo crashes, but the score remains 2-2.
79 min Schlupp rattles Ramsey – who I’d expect to go off if Villa make another change – and does very well to avoid a yellow card.
78 min Though Watkins has been a constant problem, Palace have shut Villa down really well since half-time, and I’d expect Dean Smith to make another change soon because his team look in danger of defeat here.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-2 Aston Villa (Zaha 76)
A ball down the left sends Zaha away but Hause is with him ... except instead of showing him towards the line, he allows space for him to cut inside, a really quick, clever and simple touch allowing him the space to clump a low shot towards the far post which Elmohamady deflects inside the near. Palce have earned that.
Updated
75 min Relief for Watkins who, slid in by McGinn, takes a decent first touch to get the ball out of his feet only to lash a shit into Butland’s legs. It turns out he went too soon, so the flag goes up, but he ought to have done better there.
74 min Grealish is winning his free-kicks; Ward can’t resist a nibble, for which he’s booked, but El Ghazi can only smack a shot over the top.
73 min Change for Palace, Tomkins returning from his eye-socket injury and replacing McCarthy. I expect he’ll go into the centre of defence with Kouyate moving to the middle of midfield.
72 min Villa have barely threatened this half.
70 min Palace force another corner, down the right, and Martinez can’t hold it – that was not good – so Kouyate retrieves possession and slides back to Eze who again looks for that far-post curler. This time, a flick off Grealish takes the ball behind and Villa clear the corner, before Palace shove them back once again.
68 min Watkins is starting to assert himself again, but as I type that, Eze drives towards the Villa box, opening his body to shoot for the far post. Hause, though, is paying attention, and chucks his head in the road, seeing the ball to safety.
67 min Butland sounds like the worst theme-park ever.
66 min Villa have quietened things these last few minutes, winning a free-kick down the left which El Ghazi pumps high into Butland’s hands.
65 min Grealish stations himself on the left, with El Ghazi moving to the right.
64 min And here he comes, replacing Traore whose set-piece delivery and pressure down the right was a big part of Villa’s first-half ascendancy.
63 min Yup, Villa have struggled to hold the ball this half, so it’s no great surprise to see Grealish ready to come on.
61 min And now they have it, El Ghazi coming short and getting in front of Townsend, who can’t help but foul him. Free-kick Villa, down the left side and just outside the box – their delivery has been superb today and it’s El Ghazi again, who smacks a low curler seeking the near post; Butland, seeing it late and through a crowd, does really well to block.
Updated
61 min Villa need to get themselves the ball because it’s been a while.
59 min The corner is a good one, Townsend picking out Benteke at the far post who simply peels away from Elmohamady to bang a header goalwards ... but what a save that is from Martinez, who flings himself high towards his crossbar to claw the ball away.
58 min Palace are knocking at the door now, Schlupp feeding Townsend whose cross is excellent ... but Eze is on his heels and Elmohamady sweeps behind.
58 min Palace have stepped right up the pitch, engaging Villa inside their own half and winning the ball high as a consequence.
56 min And have a look! Zaha picks up the ball short and feeds a delectable cross into the corridor, but no one bothered to attack the space and it runs behind.
56 min Palace win another free-kick, this time on the right and much further out, Elmohamady flicking Townsend’s cross behind.
55 min But a diag over the top finds Zaha on the left of the box, confronted by Hause. He looks to nip inside, seeking a shooting angle and lane, but the defender does really well to block him off.
54 min Palace are in the ascendancy now, but haven’t created much as yet.
53 min I liked it when Elmohamady was at Sunderland because Elmo, his nickname - or “Elmerr” – worked well with a Wearside accent. But I’m not sure there’s a better name for that than Terrnee Merrbrey.
52 min Traore clatters Zaha, giving Palace a free-kick down the left; Eze swerves it in menacingly, but someone – Hause I think – heads clear.
Updated
50 min Eze skates past McGinn who ploughs through him in the traditional style, earning a yellow card.
Updated
49 min I really like what I’ve seen from Watkins today. If you play up front on your own you’ve got to be a one-man forward line, and the way he’s covered the width of the pitch while remaining a goal-threat has been very impressive.
47 min Luiz spreads play nicely, a first-time touch finding Elmohamady in space. He moves on to Traore, but Palace close down well and force Villa to play backwards. They keep the ball nicely though, and and when Watkins pulls right, he makes a run that tells Traore where to pass, in behind; he collects possession and, on the line, steadies himself to dink a cross but without getting enough on it, which allows Butland to catch.
46 min A loose touch from Martinez, looking to deal with a backpass, forces him into a much better, sliding one, to clear with Benteke lurking.
46 min We go again...
Updated
Back come the teams...
Later today, we’ll be bringing you the women’s Champions League final between Chelsea and Barcelona. It should be an absolute belter, so get prepared by reading this.
Half-time: Crystal Palace 1-2 Aston Villa
Save the few minutes immediately after they took the lead fore the first time, Villa have played really well and look capable of scoring a few more. Thing is, Palace are also a threat, so the second half should be decent. See you in 10.
45+2 min Villa win another free-kick - their delivery has been excellent, not something you often say – and El Ghazi finds another good one, flicks from Elmohamady then Benteke earning a corner. It’s cleared, and that’s that.
45 min There’ll be two added minutes.
45 min Palace look a bit slow at the back. I wonder if we might see James Tomkins in the second half, though he’s been out a while.
43 min Nice from Eze, weaving a path in midfield that allows him to find Zaha, more involved in the game this last bit. He crosses low and well, but under pressure from Haase, Cahill can only poke wide; the flag then goes up for offside.
42 min I wonder if Roy Hodgson will stick an extra man into midfield, because at the moment his team are getting outnumbered in that are which is allowing Villa to find space out wide. It wouldn’t be surprising if Palace scored again, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they conceded a few more either.
41 min Watkins has played really well so far. I’m not sure he’ll quite make the England squad, but he’s made a very impressive start to his top-flight career.
Updated
39 min Villa are back at it, Watkins stretching down the right, away from Cahill, and cutting back for Traore, who shoots into Kouyate; Palace then clear.
Updated
37 min Zaha has played pretty wide so far, and when Schlupp flicks him a first-time pass, he nips inside and clouts a shot that has plenty of power but is straight at Martinez.
36 min I said this had the makings of a really enjoyable ruckus and that’s exactly how it’s gone so far. Both sides have really good attackers and a really good commitment to attack, but the defending, well.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-2 Aston Villa (El Ghazi 34)
This is dreadful from Palace but very nice from Villa, a clever touch from McGinn taking him away down the right, where he clips over a cross from close to the by-line. No defender makes an effort to cover space, so when Kouyate heads up in the air, Watkins can win the flick and the ball drops to the unmarked El Ghazi, who confidently opens his body to punch a finish across Butland.
Updated
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-1 Aston Villa (Benteke 32)
And there is is! Zaha’s’s shot is blocked but not far, allowing him to gather the rebound and poke out to Mitchell, who crosses really well to the far post where Benteke has the run on Hause, at which point the outcome is inevitable, a commanding header planted past Martinez to give yerman three in three!
Updated
31 min Benteke is playing with more confidence than for absolutely ages – his touch is sure and more than that or perhaps because of that, he’s showing for the ball.
29 min Eze is starting to have an influence and he stretches through midfield before spreading to ward, but Konsa heads clear the resultant cross.
27 min Watkins is caught in possession by Schlupp who feeds Eze, and the ball moves on to Zaha, coming in off the left. He plays into Benteke, who’s got Konsa pinned, collects the backheeled return and fires over from eight yards ... but the ref then gives a foul, presumably because Benteke grabbed Konsa’s shirt, but they were doing that to each other. For the sanity of neutrals, it’s probably for the best that Zaha missed.
26 min This is a much more even game now.
25 min Why not?
24 min Meanwhile, Palace have woken up, winning another free-kick, much close in – 25 yards, I’d say - and right of centre. Townsend and Eze are behind it but I’d expect the left foot of the former to have a shy and that’s what happens, the ball going over the wall towards the near post, where Martinez, having read it, is able to shove away.
23 min I guess maybe Ronald Koeman, who scored 194 goals in 535 games – though a fair few of those were penalties and free-kicks.
22 min Centre-backs who are better finishers than Gary Cahill:
21 min But here they are with a free-kick 35 yards out, pretty central; Watkins heads away Eze’s chip, but when it’s turned back in a poor clearance from Konsa falls for Cahill, who’s dynamite inside the box. But though he gets a decent connection, he shot flies over the top and Villa escape.
19 min Palace have done absolutely nothing so far. Villa have been too strong in midfield and too fast out wide.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-1 Aston Villa (McGinn 17)
That was coming, and beautifully so. Again, Villa stick a ball into the box, this time via Elmohamady lanking down the right, and though his cross is headed away by the diving Cahill, it falls into the path of McGinn who, from outside the box, opens his body to stroke a lush, calm finish across Butland and in off the far post. That was balm for the corneas, was that, that was.
Updated
16 min Traore’s corners have been simple and good, no signalling or frills, just balls swerved hard into the middle, and here comes another, picking out the unmarked Hause at the back post ... but it’s fractionally high and he can only contort himself into heading wide.
15 min This has been a superb start from Villa who incur down the left again, Targett chesting down and sliding to El Ghazi down the line. Again, the cross is a decent one and Cahill takes a chance, looking to control rather than clear, so Traore steps in and finds Watkins, who lamps a riser towards the near post that Butland shovels around the post.
13 min Hause hammers a terrific ball out to Traore, who finds yet another decent cross and Watkins is there for it ... but between them, Cahill and Kouyate do enough to get in the road. Good play all round.
12 min Again, Watkins peels left and this time, espies Traore on the far side of the box, looking to fling a ball in his direction; it’s deflected at source, and Villa have another corner. Again, the delivery is good, but eventually Palace get it away.
11 min Gary Cahill has hurt his hand, so there’s a quick break while it’s examined.
Updated
10 min Good from Villa, winning a corner down the right, and Traore swings in a brute towards the penalty spot where Hause is all over Ward ... but can only glance wide. Good delivery, good effort.
8 min You’ve got to admire Douglas Luiz’s dedication to his bleached look. Which reminds me that 23 years ago, Romania’s World Cup squad did this. Sensational.
7 min Better from Palace, Townsend picking up a loose ball to nash down the right, chuck a lollipop and Ramsey, and sling over a decent cross that Benteke can only head wide.
6 min A bit of head-tennis in midfield before Schlupp mistakes the ball for McGinn, and Villa have another chance to stick a cross into the box, this time from the right. But El Ghazi goes short to Traore and Mitchell quickly snaps in to challenge.
Updated
5 min This has been a decent start from Villa. Palace have done nowt but defend so far.
4 min Villa win a free-kick down the left and Targett swings it out ... nicely as it turns out. But Kouyate gets up to flick clear, knowing that Watkins lurks behind him.
Updated
2 min Nice from Villa, Targett sticking a good ball into space for Watkins at inside-left; he has a look at cuts back for Ramsey, who opens his body and passes a finish wide of the far post. It wasn’t a dreadful effort, but he does, by all accounts need to improve his finishing and ought to have at least forced the keeper to make a save.
1 min It’s raining at Selhurst, but that might speed up the play because it’s not too heavy and the surface is in good nick.
1 min And away we go!
The players, Wilfried Zaha aside, take a knee. Black lives matter.
I do like Dean Smith’s eyebrows.
Here come the teams...
Updated
Sky have just showed this; after the few morons booing the taking of the knee at Wembley yesterday, it’s worth watching and/or rewatching.
What Grealish gives a team, if he starts from the flank, is the ability to play an extra attacking midfielder because he’s an extra body able to keep the ball. I don’t think Southgate is remotely interested in playing dominant football though – he’ll want to protect his defence and expect to win with moments and counters.
Jamie Redknapp reckons if Grealish plays a bit today then starts Villa’s last two games, he’ll get into the England squad – though he doesn’t think Southgate is a huge fan. Now the squads are bigger I’d be surprised if he missed out, but I’d be surprised if played all that much.
Updated
Dean Smith notes that his team have done less well in the second half of the season, and says it’s hard without your best player for a third of it. Overall, though, he’s really happy with how things have gone, and hopes Watkins can take out his frustration at missing the last game with suspension on Palace. Back to Grealish, Smith is bringing him back slowly, and says he puts teams on the back foot because he makes defenders nervous.
Trying to get in his way will be John McGinn, who captains Villa today. I know Grealish bossed the Championship, but when I watched Villa at that level I was actually more impressed with McGinn, whose all-round competence was a throwback to a time when midfield players didn’t come with qualifiers. I’m sure he’ll go to the Euros – I hope he forces his way into Scotland’s starting XI.
Updated
Back to Eze, Sky reckon he’ll be in central-midfield, and in a 4-4-2 too. If he seriously has the chops for that role, he could be very special – it’s not often you see someone able to beat men like he can playing in the middle of the pitch.
A windswept Roy Hodgson tells Sky he doesn’t think today’s game is a huge deal for the various players he has nearing the end of their contracts, on the basis that he’s had most of them for four years. Fair enough.
I don’t know, maybe Stones is better than Mings, he probably is, but I’m not mad about either and think Maguire needs some recovery pace next to him.
It really is absolutely mind-boggling how many brilliant young players England have. I don’t think it’ll quite happen in the way it could, but I really hope Gareth Southgate lets them go in the summer – and I say that not as an England fan, which I’m not, but because I’d love to see them play and think they could do some serious damage. Now that you don’t ask, my starting XI would be: Pickford; Walker, Maguire, Mings, Shaw; Rice, Bellingham, Mount; Foden, Kane, Rashford.
I’m really looking forward to watching Eberechi Eze, who has that rare, beautiful mix of elegance and invention. I saw him a few times for QPR and was a little surprised no one richer than Palace got involved; it’ll take a lot more than £19.5m to get hold of him now.
As for Villa, Tyrone Mings is injured and replaced by Kourtney Hause, while Matt Cash is also unavailable. Following their midweek draw with Everton, Barkley and Davis drop out, with Ramsey and the now unsuspended Watkins taking their place.
Palace make five changes to the team that lost at Southampton in midweek. In net, Jack Butland – remember him? – makes his first Premier League appearance for the club, replacing Vicente Guaita, while Cahill, McCarthy, Schlupp and Townsend also come in, for Dann, Riedewald, Milivojevic and Ayew respectively.
Teams!
Crystal Palace (a literate, multi-lingual 4-4-2): Butland; Ward, Kouyate, Cahill, Mitchell; Townsend, McCarthy, Schlupp, Eze; Benteke, Zaha. Subs: Hennessey, Guaita, Batshuayi, Kelly, Mateta, Ayew, Riedewald, Dann, Tomkins.
Aston Villa (a flexible 4-2-3-1): Martinez; Elmohamady, Konsa, Hause, Target; Luiz, McGinn; Traoré, Ramsey, El Ghazi; Watkins. Subs: Steer, Taylor, Barkley, Grealish, Davis, Chukwuemeka, Wesley, Engles, Nakamba.
My friend and yours: David Coote (Nottinghamshire)
Preamble
In September 2017, Crystal Palace fired Frank de Boer after starting the season with four straight defeats and no goals. At the time, it seemed perhaps a little hasty – all the more so when they appointed Roy Hodgson, just turned 70 and fresh from soul-crushing failure with Liverpool then England, to widespread derision and mirth. He duly lost his first three games ... then led his team to an 11th-place finish, the first time a team starting with seven straight defeats has stayed up, and Palace have been largely free of relegation fears ever since. It’s been an absolutely brilliant effort.
Now, though, there are rumours that Hodgson might finally take a blow which, if true, would make this the penultimate home match of a career that has seen him manage 1210 games. Of course, he might hang on for more – he’s an addict just like the rest of us – but even so, it does no harm to take a moment and roll around our minds what it must take to be renewing yourself while inspiring others at the age of 73. You’d take it.
Villa, meanwhile, have a manager closer to the start of his career, and though Dean Smith has been helped by significant investment, he’s shaped a likeable and entertaining team that look set to become a Premier League staple. They’ve faded a little over the last few months and particularly since losing Jack Grealish to injury, but over the course of the season have destroyed Liverpool and given plenty to excellent games against both Manchester clubs. They’re still fighting to secure a top-half finish, and though Grealish – along with the extremely exciting Carney Chukwuemeka – is on the bench, they’ll not be turning up at Selhurst to sit back. This could be an extremely enjoyable tussle.
Kick-off: 12pm BST
Updated
