Four takeaways from Crystal Palace’s defeat at Aston Villa – Doucoure’s dismal day and shuffling pack fails to bring rewards

BY ADAM SELLS

Crystal Palace are still winless in 2023 after a 1-0 reverse at Aston Villa yesterday.

Here are Adam Sells’ takeaways.

THE RUN CONTINUES

The defeat at Villa Park now leaves Palace with one victory in their last 14 matches in all competitions.

Patrick Vieira’s men drew a blank for an eighth time during this run and for an 11th time in 25 Premier League games.

For a second week in succession the Eagles did not manage a single shot on target.

Aston Villa were not much better in a turgid game, registering only one effort on target themselves, despite playing the final 23 minutes (plus five minutes stoppage time) against 10 men.

Perhaps fittingly, the game was decided by the hapless Joachim Andersen, who inadvertently diverted Matty Cash’s cross past a despairing Vicente Guaita midway through the first half.

The Palace boss felt his side were “unlucky” and in truth there was very little between the two sides. But if you cannot score goals, the pressure is always going to mount on the other end of the pitch.

With Manchester City at Selhurst Park next week, followed by two tough away games at Brighton and Arsenal, there is a strong chance on current form that the run may reach one win in 17.

PACK SHUFFLED BUT SAME DEAL

Vieira made changes in the attacking positions, restoring Eberechi Eze and Wilfried Zaha to the starting line-up.

When studying the teamsheet, it seemed that Vieira had reverted to the recipe that had brought his team their last victory on New Year’s Eve, utilising Jordan Ayew in his favoured number nine slot, with Eze operating as the ‘10’ with in Zaha and Michael Olise either side.

Perhaps surprisingly, none of the four occupied any of those roles and another blank was recorded after a bright start. Zaha was denied a goal by an extremely tight drawn offside line, but that was pretty much it and thereafter Palace never troubled Emiliano Martinez again.

DOUCOURE’S DISMAL DAY

Cheick Doucoure had a miserable afternoon. Villa had the upper hand in the middle of park and Doucoure and his midfield partner Albert Sambi Lokonga struggled to make an impact.

The Mali international was sent off in the 62nd minute after two late challenges just five minutes apart.

His manager defended his man in the post-match press conference, referencing the question as something that goes with the territory.

However, in truth it was needless and ill-disciplined. The first foul on Boubacar Kamara was an unnecessary lunge, the second on Callum Chambers was also avoidable and at best naive when on a yellow card.

Doucoure has made a decent impression in his first season, but rash challenges have been a feature a little too often.

THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GOALS

Patrick Vieira made changes following Doucoure’s dismissal, surprisingly withdrawing Michael Olise for Jean-Philippe Mateta. It was a move that drew  audible discontent from some of the travelling Palace contingent.

It would be completely fair to say this was not Olise’s finest game in a Palace jersey, but down to 10 men and struggling to score goals all season, it was perhaps unwise to remove one of three players most likely to provide a moment to individual brilliance when possession would be limited. The former Reading man is one of only four players who have scored more than one goal this season, along with Eze and Zaha.

The other is Odsonne Edouard, who was overlooked in favour of Mateta, with the latter struggling to make any kind of impact – only managing a handful of touches after coming on.