Aston Villa missed the chance to climb the Premier League table as Crystal Palace held Unai Emerys team to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park, with both sides creating clear openings in a tense contest that ended
with Ollie Watkins heading against the post late on.
The point keeps Villa third rather than second, after Manchester City also dropped points by drawing against Brighton. Victory would have moved Villa above Manchester City, while the result instead leaves Emerys side five points behind leaders Arsenal, who host Liverpool on Thursday in a crucial fixture.
The match statistics underlined Villa’s frustration, with the visitors logging more attempts and better chances. Villa produced 15 shots compared with Palaces 11, and generated an expected goals (xG) figure of 1.57, reflecting several strong opportunities that went unused in front of goal for Emerys team.
| Team | Goals | Shots | xG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | 0 | 15 | 1.57 |
| Crystal Palace | 0 | 11 | Not specified |
The goalless draw ended Villa’s run of scoring in 10 successive Premier League games. It was the first time Emerys side failed to find the net in the league since a 2-0 defeat against Liverpool in November, and Emery is still without a victory against Oliver Glasner in seven top-flight meetings, with two draws and five defeats.
One major positive for Villa was Victor Lindelof’s control in possession from defence, with the centre-back completing every one of his 85 passes. That 100 per cent return is the best passing accuracy by any player in a Premier League match since Aymeric Laporte completed 110 passes without misplacing one for Manchester City against Everton in February 2022.
85 - Victor Lindelf completed all 85 of his passes for Aston Villa against Crystal Palace, the best 100% passing accuracy figure by a player in a Premier League game since Aymeric Laporte for Manchester City against Everton on February 26th 2022 (110). Meticulous. pic.twitter.com/FOTPoWXlm3 OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 7, 2026
Despite that control, the decisive moments came in both penalty areas. Emiliano Martinez denied Brennan Johnson with a sharp first-half stop during a lively home debut for the Palace forward, before Martinez was substituted at half-time. After the interval, Justin Devenny saw a rebound effort dramatically blocked by a sliding Lucas Digne, while Villa finished stronger through Watkins and Morgan Rogers.
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace form guide and streaks
Watkins’ late header against the upright was followed by another opening for Rogers, who also failed to convert as Villa edged the balance of chances. Palace, however, extended a difficult league sequence despite a competitive display, and Glasner’s side are now without a win in six Premier League matches.
That current run is Palaces poorest in the league since going eight games without victory between August and October 2024. At Selhurst Park specifically, Palace have now gone six consecutive home league fixtures without a win, with three draws and three defeats, their longest such sequence since a seven-match stretch under Roy Hodgson between September and December 2023.
Both teams left Selhurst Park with mixed feelings, Villa losing momentum in the chase of Arsenal and Manchester City despite controlling many metrics, and Palace extending a troubling spell without a win, though Glasner’s players again showed discipline and work rate in a competitive Premier League meeting.
