Unai Emery will be looking for his Aston Villa side to kick start their campaign when they meet Crystal Palace.
Villa have endured a tough and slow summer, which has perhaps bled into this campaign with a goalless draw against Newcastle United on the opening day being followed by a shock 1-0 loss to Brentford last weekend.
Palace, on the other hand, have already played five matches across all competitions this season with a Community Shield win against Liverpool being followed by a 1-0 aggregate defeat of Fredrikstad in the UEFA Europa Conference League and back-to-back draws to kick off their Premier League campaign.
The Sporting News takes you through the latest odds, tips and predictions as two teams that could do with a victory face off against each other in the second city this weekend.
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Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace prediction
Villa need some clarity over their squad and they should soon get that with the closing of the transfer window. The fatigue of Palace could hit quite early this season and backing the hosts has to be the value bet here.
Villa are priced up as favourites at 20/23 with Paddy Power, with the draw out at 12/5 and Palace priced up at 16/5 for this one.
The Sporting News' Score Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Crystal Palace
- Aston Villa to beat Crystal Palace at Villa Park is viewed as a 53.5% possibility according to Paddy Power.
- Learn more about reading odds, different types of bets and the best online betting sites through our how to bet on football guide
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace expected lineups
Here's how we think these two sides will line up for this Premier League outing.
Aston Villa lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left)
- Emiliano Martinez (GK) — Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne — Tielemans, Onana — Malen, Rogers, McGinn — Watkins
Injured: Andres Garcia, Kamara, Barkley (doubt)
Suspended: None
Crystal Palace lineup (3-4-3, right to left)
- Henderson (GK) — Richards, Lacroix, Guehi — Daniel Munoz, Wharton, Jefferson Lerma, Mitchell — Sarr, Mateta, Devenny
Injured: Riad, Kporha, Doucoure, Hughes, Nketiah, Edouard
Suspended: None
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace latest odds, correct score betting
Our 2-1 prediction is at decent odds with Sky Bet, but there are plenty of other possible score lines that are worth looking at for this one. Here's a look at some of the most likely outcomes according to the bookmakers.
*Click odds to bet direct with our selected partners. Odds correct at time of publish.
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Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace team news
- Unai Emery will be able to welcome back England international centre-back Ezri Konsa after he served a one-match suspension last weekend due to an opening day red card.
- With what is quite a small squad, Villa could do without injuries and it is expected that Boubacar Kamara remains sidelined for the hosts this weekend.
- Justin Devenny was given the nod last weekend and the Northern Irishman is expected to keep his place after the sale of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal last week.
- The Eagles have some other transfer issues hanging over their heads but, as was the case in midweek, Liverpool target and club captain Marc Guehi is expected to play this weekend.
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace Bet Builder tips
Our bet builder for this game is for Aston Villa to win (20/23), both teams to score (3/4), Ollie Watkins to score anytime (13/10) and Crystal Palace to receive the most cards (10/11) which comes in at 8.45/1 overall with Paddy Power.
You can check out the latest odds and bet direct with our selected partners using the bet builder tool below.
How to watch Premier League 2025/26 Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace: Live stream, TV channel
- Date: Sunday, August 31
- Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham, England
- Time: 7:00 p.m. BST
- TV/Stream: Sky Sports, Sky Go