Palace v Aston Villa

Selhurst Park, Saturday 3.07pm

Tony Pulis

Story so far

Data supplied by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Select and manage your own team of stars at fantasy.premierleague.com or with FIFA Ultimate Team for FIFA 14.

Crystal Palace’s last outing in the league saw them win in emphatic fashion with a 0-3 victory away to Cardiff thanks to a brace from Jason Puncheon and a Joe Ledley strike.

In Mile Jedinak and Joel Ward, Crystal Palace have two of the most dominant defensive forces in the league this season. The pair have won a superb combined total 204 tackles this term and rank 3rd and 4th respectively on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index (Jedinak - 104; Ward - 100).

In addition it’s worth noting that Jedinak has been exceptional for the Eagles all over the park this season, leading by example during what has been an up and down campaign.

He leads the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for interceptions with 115 and is the only player in the league to have moved into triple figures for both this category and clearances with 113.

Jason Puncheon’s brace last weekend took his goal-tally for this season to five, and he will likely once again be one of Palace’s main attacking threats against Villa. He now sits on a squad-high 47 shots on goal, 53% of which have been on target. Puncheon is 3/1 with 888sport.com to score at any time this weekend.

A late goal from Fulham saw Aston Villa go down 1-2 despite Grant Holt’s second-half goal. The result leaves Villa not quite out of trouble and Paul Lambert will be keen to see his side pick up a vital three points against a side level with them in the table.

The loss of Christian Benteke to a ruptured Achilles means that even more of the goal-scoring burden will fall on the pairing of Andreas Weimann and Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Between them they have combined for 69 attempts on goal and six goals and Paul Lambert will no doubt be looking for a way for them to combine effectively for the remainder of the season. Weimann is 15/4 whilst Agbonlahor is 7/2 with 888sport.com to score at any time this weekend.

The all-round play of Fabian Delph has been one of the major pluses for Villa this season, the dynamic midfielder being effective both with and without the ball.

He’s racked up an impressive 630 completed passes in the opponent’s half to complement his 186 defensive contributions (blocks, clearances, interceptions, tackles won) according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

Captain Ron Vlaar has continued to post some excellent statistics this season. The imposing centre-half is currently the only player in the league with a tackle success rate of 81% or higher, after more than 55 attempted tackles, to have committed fewer then 10 fouls (9).

Team news

Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis has no new injury concerns ahead of this clash at Selhurst Park.

Dwight Gayle came through a midweek U21 match against Brentford without any problems following a recent ankle injury. Fellow striker Marouane Chamakh is also fit after his hamstring problem and is likely to keep his place on the bench.

Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor and midfielders Fabian Delph and Karim El Ahmadi are set to return to the squad after sitting out the defeat at home to Fulham last time out. However, Christian Benteke, Libor Kozak, Charles N'Zogbia, Jores Okore, Nicklas Helenius and Gary Gardner remain sidelined.

Palace: (from) Speroni, Hennessey, Gabbidon, McCarthy, Dann, Mariappa, Ward, Delaney, Ledley, Bannan, O'Keefe, Dikgacoi, Bolasie, Jedinak, Guedioura, Puncheon, Ince, Thomas, Jerome, Chamakh, Murray, Gayle.

Aston Villa: (from) Guzan, Steer, Clark, Baker, Luna, Vlaar, Bennett, Lowton, Bertrand, Bacuna, Albrighton, El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph, Sylla, Tonev, Holt, Weimann, Agbonlahor.

Quotes

Roy Hodgson

"It's been a good couple of weeks for us. Important we keep our feet on the ground. Villa have got great support and I've got a lot of respect for Paul (Lambert). They are an exciting team and good players. We have one or two knocks but by Saturday we hope everyone will be OK.

"It's about good organisation and making the players believe what we want to do. It's making sure they keep that attitude.

"It's not the individuals at this club, it's the team. Everybody has just bought in to what we want to do. You have good times and bad times in football (on Puncheon). It's how you bounce back.

"If we take things for granted and take our foot off the pedal, we're in for a rude awakening. What you have got to do is remain level and face things with the same attitude and approach.

"The people not in the squad, their attitudes have been outstanding. They must be hurting because they want to play. We never let up. Six years doing this in the Premier League (with Stoke), you realise it changes quickly. (I won't be able to relax) until we're safe."

Paul Lambert

"It's a game where you have to be strong. It's going to be a tight game. It will be hard. But we know we can create and score. You are going to have to defend strongly. You are going to have to put your body on the line. If you don't do that, you may as well not play.

"You have to be ready. This will be a physical game. It's no slight on Crystal Palace. They have big players who will be physical. We have to match it. The atmosphere will be good too. But we can hurt them.

"They have good honest pros. It will be a tough game. But, equally so, it will be a tough game for them. I get on with Tony pretty well. He did well at Stoke City - everywhere he's been, in fact - and he's doing great again at Palace.

"You know it will be a hard game. Going there at any time is tough. They have had some great results. You know what's coming. Everyone is looking forward to it. It will be an absolute battle. You have to be ready for it.

"I know we can create and score. If we do that, we will be well in the game. They are playing well. They have got good results. But it's been well documented that our away form has been more consistent than our home form. That's something we have to do again."

Aston Villa - league stats

Position	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
13th	32	9	7	16	34

Full league table

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
26/12/2013	League	Aston Villa	0 - 1	Crystal Palace
24/02/2010	FA Cup	Aston Villa	3 - 1	Crystal Palace
14/02/2010	FA Cup	Crystal Palace	2 - 2	Aston Villa
03/01/2005	League	Crystal Palace	2 - 0	Aston Villa
25/09/2004	League	Aston Villa	1 - 1	Crystal Palace

All time results

Last meeting

Aston Villa 0-1 Palace

Thursday December 26 2013

Aston Villa: Guzan, Baker, Clark, Lowton, Luna (Bacuna, 67), El Ahmadi, Delph, Albrighton, Weimann (Tonev, 87), Agbonlahor, Kozak (Bowery, 77)

Subs not used: Steer, Helenius, Gardner, Sylla

Bookings: Baker, El Ahmadi

Palace: Speroni, Gabbidon, Mariappa, Parr, Delaney, Puncheon (Williams, 65), Bolasie, Ward, Bannan (Moxey, 86), Jedinak, Jerome (Gayle, 72)

Subs not used: Phillips, Campana, Boateng, Price

Goals: Gayle (90)

Bookings: Bannan, Jerome