Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace EFL Cup Report

Scorers: Duran 23’; Eze 8’, Kamada 64’

Aston Villa’s Carabao Cup Run Ends in 2-1 Defeat to Crystal Palace

Aston Villa’s Carabao Cup journey ended in disappointment as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at home.

The loss also halted Villa’s impressive 11-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, a run that began in August. Despite the defeat, the returns of Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara after long injury layoffs were bright spots for Unai Emery’s side.

First Half: Early Blow and Villa’s Equaliser

Crystal Palace took control early on, with Eberechi Eze heading past Joe Gauci in the eighth minute to put the visitors ahead.

However, Villa responded just 15 minutes later when Boubacar Kamara’s defensive tenacity and excellent passing set up their equaliser.

Kamara won possession and sent a lofted pass to Leon Bailey on the right wing, who picked out Jhon Duran in the box. Duran’s shot proved too powerful for Palace’s Matt Turner, levelling the scoreline.

The first half continued to showcase Kamara and Mings’ impact. Kamara delivered another pinpoint pass over the Palace defence, while Mings’ standout defensive moment came when he made a crucial tackle on Jeffrey Schlupp, which drew cheers from the Holte End crowd.

Second Half: Missed Chances and Costly Error

Villa started the second half with intent, with Duran almost doubling his tally around the 60th minute after a deflected Ian Maatsen strike fell into his path. However, the Colombian forward couldn’t keep his shot on target from close range, missing a chance to put Villa in front.

It was a defensive error that eventually cost Villa. Diego Carlos, attempting to play out from the back, lost possession inside his own box.

Daichi Kamada capitalised on the mistake, finding the net in the 64th minute to restore Palace’s lead and ultimately secure their progression to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Key Takeaways

Returns of Mings and Kamara: Both players made strong comebacks, showing their importance to Villa’s lineup. Kamara’s distribution and Mings’ defensive prowess were evident, offering hope for Villa’s upcoming Premier League games.

Missed Opportunities: Despite creating several good chances, Villa’s finishing let them down, with Duran unable to convert a close-range opportunity that could have swung the match in their favour.

Defensive Lapses: Villa’s commitment to playing out from the back led to costly turnovers, most notably Carlos’ error that led to Kamada’s winner for Palace.

While Villa will be disappointed with the result, their focus now turns to maintaining their strong league form as they seek to bounce back from this setback.

You can find more information on all games in this competition here:

Carabao Cup draw, Final date, results, fixtures, stats, rules – The English Football League