Crystal Palace’s season continued to go in the right direction after they beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the Carabao Cup.
Three days after kick-starting their Premier League campaign by beating Tottenham, Palace followed it up by booking their place in the quarter-finals of the League Cup thanks to Eberechi Eze and Daichi Kamada goals either side of Jhon Duran’s leveller.
Oliver Glasner’s men took advantage of an off-colour Villa side, who made wholesale changes, and are now two wins from a Wembley final.
The only sour point of the evening was seeing Eze and Adam Wharton limp off with first-half injuries.
Villa boss Unai Emery always said this competition was last on his list of priorities and his team selection proved it, with Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley not even in the matchday squad.
That left them with no firepower to rescue the game after they fell behind to Kamada’s goal and they limped out, with bigger challenges – a weekend trip to Tottenham and a Champions League visit to Club Brugge – to come.
Despite their raft of changes, which included Tyrone Mings starting for the first time in 445 days following a serious knee injury, Villa could have taken the lead inside the opening five minutes, but Leon Bailey twice squandered good opportunities.
First he shot straight at Palace goalkeeper Matt Turner after making space for himself at the far post and then scuffed another effort from 12 yards when he had time and space from Ian Maatsen’s cutback.
But it was Palace who went ahead with their first attack of the match in the eighth minute.
Daniel Munoz made his way down the right, sent in an inviting cross and Eze planted a header into the bottom corner.
Eze soon limped off for Palace, who were pegged back in the 23rd minute.
Boubacar Kamara, also making his first start since February, did brilliantly to win the ball back and then set Bailey free, with the Jamaican picking out Duran to fire home.
Villa looked the more likely to force a second and Emiliano Buendia had a close-range effort saved before Jaden Philogene’s shot was well blocked by Trevoh Chalobah.
Duran forced Turner into a flying save in the early stages of the second half as he shot from distance and then he poked wide when a loose ball fell to him.
But Villa shot themselves in the foot by gifting Palace the lead in the 64th minute.
Passing out from the back, Diego Carlos misplaced a pass, allowing Kamada to find the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Villa had no serious attacking resources to call on from the bench and Palace were able to cruise through.
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
