Crystal Palace secured a fantastic 4-1 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Tuesday night, as Ismaila Sarr celebrated his 27th birthday with a brilliant brace.
The result lifts the Eagles into 12th place and just four points behind their opponents, who fall down the standings and into 10th after both Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion secured victories.
The opening 25 minutes were tense and disjoined as offsides, fouls and injuries broke up the flow of the play, but the game burst into life in the remainder of the half, with Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers both denied goals by VAR due to offside decisions, while Sarr reacted fastest to Emi Martinez's parry to score on his 27th birthday and put the hosts ahead at the break.
The action continued throughout the second half with plenty of chances for either side, including Rogers elegantly equalising for the visitors six minutes after the restart, but Crystal Palace swiftly restored their lead as Jean-Philippe Mateta resumed his outstanding goalscoring form with a superb left-footed strike just before the hour mark.
Crystal Palace were relentless in the remainder of the match, creating several goalscoring opportunities as they consistently cut through Aston Villa's defence, and the birthday boy's night got even better when he produced an exceptional finish across goal to seal the victory and all three points for the Eagles, with Eddie Nketiah adding a humiliating fourth and final goal in the dying moments.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
Crystal Palace and Oliver Glasner will be absolutely delighted with that performance and victory, as they completely dominated a formidable Aston Villa side for the majority of the match.
While Sarr will get most of the plaudits for scoring twice, the continued excellent form of Eberechi Eze and Mateta will be hugely encouraging for Glasner as the season nears its end, helping Palace secure victories on numerous occasions already this season.
The attacking play and creativity was undoubtedly their strongest aspect tonight, but the effectiveness of their defensive set-up also deserves mention, helping them to often nullify Villa's forward players.
As for Unai Emery's men, their unusual struggles on the road continue as they suffer a seventh league defeat away from home this term, leaving them 15th in the Premier League table for away results.
That will certainly give Emery plenty to think about as the end of the campaign draws ever closer, as those results will need to improve if they are to secure back-to-back seasons of Champions League football.
CRYSTAL PALACE VS. ASTON VILLA HIGHLIGHTS
Ismaila Sarr goal vs. Aston Villa (29th min, Crystal Palace 1-0 Aston Villa)
It's a birthday goal for Ismaïla Sarr 🎁
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2025
Crystal Palace take an early lead ⚽
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/wMDuTeL8xn
Sarr scores! The Birthday boy puts Crystal Palace ahead!
Eze fires in a cross that no one is able to turn it in, but Palace keep the ball in play and work it back to Adam Wharton, who whips a cross towards the back post.
Chris Richards gets the initial shot off, which Martinez is only able to parry down into the area, and Sarr reacts fastest to fire into the net from close range.
Morgan Rogers goal vs. Crystal Palace (52nd min, Crystal Palace 1-1 Aston Villa)
The Watkins x Rogers link-up strikes again 📎
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2025
Aston Villa have levelled the game up!
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Rogers levels for Villa, no taking that one away from him!
A long kick forward by Robin Olsen is flicked on by Ollie Watkins, and Rogers skilfully heads the ball into his stride as he charges into the Crystal Palace box.
The midfielder's second touch leaves the ball just behind him, but Rogers excellently shields the ball, pivots onto his left foot and fires a snapshot into the bottom right corner.
Jean-Philippe Mateta goal vs. Aston Villa (59th min, Crystal Palace 2-1 Aston Villa)
In the form of his life 🔥
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2025
Jean-Philippe Mateta left Robin Olsen with no chance of stopping that strike 🚀
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Crystal Palace are back in the lead, clinical from Mateta!
Wharton collects the ball deep inside the Aston Villa half and fizzes a ball into the path of Eze inside the area, and the attacking midfielder is brought down but excellently lays the ball off to Mateta.
Mateta takes the ball into his stride with one touch and whips a wonderful left-footed strike past Olsen and into the left corner, world-class from Palace's main man.
Ismaila Sarr goal vs. Aston Villa (71st min, Crystal Palace 3-1 Aston Villa)
Ismaïla Sarr scores his second of the night as Crystal Palace extend their lead ⭐
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2025
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/sCBQRoXBeU
Sarr again, the birthday boy has a brace!
Daniel Munoz has several opportunities to pick out a man inside the box with a cross, and the defender finally finds Sarr with a wonderful cut-back at the third attempt.
The cross is at an awkward height for Sarr, but the forward manages to adjust his body and side-foot his finish past Olsen and into the bottom left corner.
Eddie Nketiah goal vs. Aston Villa (91st min, Crystal Palace 4-1 Aston Villa)
© Imago
Nketiah has scored his first goal for Palace to make it four!
The ball is worked wide to Tyrick Mitchell on the left side of the Aston Villa box, but the defender appears to miscontrol the ball and lose possession.
Mitchell manages to reclaim the ball and quickly fire it across the face of the goal, where Nketiah meets it at the back post to score his first goal for the club.
MAN OF THE MATCH - ISMAILA SARR
© Imago
A number of Crystal Palace players could have been given the man of the match award, but Sarr certainly deserves his plaudits after netting a lovely double on his 27th birthday.
The forward displayed excellent instincts to react fastest to Martinez's parry and score the first, while his finish for the second was straight out of the top drawer.
Mateta, Eze and Wharton all also deserve credit for their performances, helping Crystal Palace secure a stellar three points against a strong Aston Villa team.
CRYSTAL PALACE VS. ASTON VILLA MATCH STATS
Possession: Crystal Palace 36%-64% Aston Villa
Shots: Crystal Palace 19-6 Aston Villa
Shots on target: Crystal Palace 6-2 Aston Villa
Corners: Crystal Palace 3-8 Aston Villa
Fouls: Crystal Palace 19-10 Aston Villa
BEST STATS
Ismaila Sarr has scored in the Premier League for the first time since the 21st December against Arsenal.
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) February 25, 2025
Celebrating his birthday with a goal. 🥳#CRYAVL pic.twitter.com/HC5hrusi55
5 - Eberechi Eze has assisted Jean-Philippe Mateta five times in the Premier League this season, the joint-most a @CPFC player has set up a specific teammate in a single campaign (Michael Olise 5 for Eze in 2022-23). Wavelength. #CRYAVL pic.twitter.com/eXfPJPTzC6
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 25, 2025
WHAT NEXT?
Crystal Palace will remain at their home ground in the upcoming weeks, first hosting Millwall in the FA Cup before welcoming Ipswich Town to Selhurst Park in the Premier League.
As for Aston Villa, they will briefly return home to face Cardiff City in the FA Cup, followed by away matchups with Club Brugge in the Champions League and Brentford in the Premier League.
Ellis Stevens
