Crystal Palace host Aston Villa at Selhurst Park tonight (Wednesday 7th January 2026), and it is a matchup full of small tactical contests that decide whether Palace can turn the game into a scrap, or Villa can play it on their terms.
Palace are short on options on the right side, with Nathaniel Clyne and Jefferson Lerma ruled out, while Chris Richards returns to the matchday squad. Villa, meanwhile, are monitoring the fitness of key defenders, with Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres described as close to being available.
1) Jean-Philippe Mateta vs Ezri Konsa and Villa’s stand-in centre back
If Palace are going to get up the pitch consistently, Mateta’s hold up play and aerial wins are the quickest route. Villa will try to stop that by stepping into him early and forcing loose second balls for their midfield to collect. He’s been off the boil for the past few weeks but this could finally be where his form turns back around.
| Focus | What to watch | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Mateta’s physical edge | First contact on long passes, and whether he can pin Konsa | Palace’s best spells often start with Mateta turning pressure into territory |
| Support runs | Brennan Johnson and Yeremy Pino arriving off Mateta’s lay-offs | Palace need runners close enough to turn knockdowns into shots |
| Mateta’s Villa record | He has 6 goals and 3 assists vs Villa in the Premier League | He has a proven track record of hurting them, especially when the game gets stretched |
Villa may start with Konsa alongside Victor Lindelof, which is exactly the sort of pairing Palace can test with direct play and quick follow ups.
2) Palace’s right side cover vs Villa’s left side rotations
This is the danger zone for Palace. With Clyne out and Daniel Munoz still sidelined, Palace are likely to field Kaden Rodney at right wing-back with Jaydee Canvot on the right of the back three. Villa can target that channel with overlaps and underlaps, especially if Ian Maatsen starts at left back.
| Focus | What to watch | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Rodney’s 1v1 defending | How often Villa isolate him, and whether Palace can double up | If Rodney gets left alone, Villa can force low crosses and cutbacks |
| Canvot’s protection | When he steps out, and when he holds the line | Palace cannot open gaps between right centre back and wing-back |
| Villa’s left side combinations | Maatsen plus a drifting attacker (often Morgan Rogers) | Villa love creating spare men around the corner to break pressure |
The simplest Palace solution is disciplined distances, wing-back plus right centre back plus nearest midfielder, so Villa are pushed wide instead of allowed into the inside-left channel.
3) Adam Wharton and Will Hughes vs Villa’s midfield engine room
This battle decides tempo. Villa’s midfield trio options, often including Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans and John McGinn, are built to win the ball back quickly and release runners early. McGinn has been central to Villa’s recent league momentum, and the Watkins plus Rogers connection is a constant transition threat.
| Focus | What to watch | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Wharton under pressure | First touch and forward passes through the inside channels | If Wharton can break the first press, Palace can attack before Villa set |
| Hughes’ off-ball work | Blocking passing lanes into Tielemans and McGinn | Palace need to force Villa wide and slow the second phase |
| Counter-press moments | Who wins the five seconds after turnovers | Villa punish sloppy exits, Palace must either win it back or foul smartly |
If Palace keep the midfield compact and avoid getting dragged into end to end football, the match potentially stays in reach. If Villa start winning second balls and running at a back three that is shifting laterally, it becomes a long night at Selhurst Park very, very quickly.
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