FRESH off the back of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League, Aston Villa wrap up their season when they come up against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Unai Emery’s side staged a dramatic late comeback to claim a 3-3 draw with Liverpool at Villa Park on Monday night.
That point put the Villains on the verge of securing Champions League qualification, and their ticket to Europe’s top table was stamped 24 hours later following Tottenham's 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City, on a night where two of my three tips landed.
That means Aston Villa can now afford to take a relaxed approach going into their final fixture of the season in South-West London on Sunday.
As for the Eagles, they kept up their strong end to the campaign by earning a 3-1 win at Wolves last weekend.
Oliver Glasner’s side are still in the mix for a top-half finish and they will be keen to sign off for the season in style in front of their own supporters.
How the bookies view it: Palace to keep on purring
Crystal Palace, who have won each of their last three Premier League home games, are odds-on 5/6 favourites with Bet 365.
This is effectively a dead-rubber for 14/5 (Bet 365) outsiders Aston Villa while the draw is also deemed unlikely at 29/10 (Bet 365).
Head to head: Villa seeking hat-trick of victories
Aston Villa have emerged victorious from each of the last two meetings between the sides, the most recent of which was a 3-1 success at Villa Park back in September.
That being said, Crystal Place did claim top honours from last season's corresponding fixture, with Wilfried Zaha striking twice in a 3-1 success for the capital club.
Players to watch: Olise on fire
Crystal Palace livewire Micahel Olise has chipped in with three goals and one assist across his last two Premier League appearances and he looks worth backing at 5/6 (Bet 365) to register another goal involvement this weekend.
After coming off the bench to bag a brace on Monday night, Aston Villa’s Jhon Durán could get a run out from the start at Selhurst Park. The Colombian striker is 11/4 on Bet 365 to grab a goal against the Eagles.
Predicted line-ups
Crystal Palace's Naouirou Ahamada will be suspended on Sunday following his red card at Wolves last weekend while fellow midfielder Will Hughes is doubtful after coming off injured at Molineux.
With a top-four finish already sewn up with a game to spare, Unai Emery is expected to shuffle his pack at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Clyne, Richards, Andersen; Munoz, Schlupp, Wharton, Mitchell; Olise, Mateta, Eze
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Torres, Lenglet, Digne; Diaby, Luiz, McGinn, Bailey; Duran, Watkins
Anything else catch the eye?
The aforementioned Michael Olise’s opener at Molineux last weekend was scored from outside of the box and the 16/1 (Bet 365) about a repeat on Sunday looks worthy of a fun final day of the season longshot selection.
Scoring spectacular goals is just one of the many weapons in Olise’s armoury, with two of his last five top-flight strikes coming from distance.
This English Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa will be played on May 19, 2024 and kick off at 16:00. Check below for our tipsters best Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
