Two star players on the verge of moves to bigger clubs from Crystal Palace and Aston Villa respectively reflected the state of the spirit within their camps as Marc Guéhi’s memorable strike rubber-stamped the Londoners’ latest triumph over the West Midlanders.
We will never know whether Emiliano Martínez would have saved it as the Villa goalkeeper was unavailable for selection amid reports of Manchester United’s renewed interest.
The Palace fans serenaded their potentially departing hero by singing “Marc Guéhi, I wanna know how you scored that goal” after their captain followed a run out from defence by curling home a beautiful shot into the top corner for 2-0 midway through the second half.
If the England defender is leaving for Liverpool on Monday, then what a farewell gift. Palace dispatched Villa by this scoreline at Wembley on their way to winning the FA Cup in May in a run of 14 games unbeaten. They have won five and drawn one of their last six games with these opponents over the past two years. Villa, losing their year-long unbeaten home run in the Premier League, are yet to score this season. Their miserable summer’s transfer activity is under an even harsher spotlight.
On the eve of the transfer deadline, fans’ interest was piqued by the release of the teamsheets. Guéhi, the subject of a £35m bid from Liverpool, was once again named as the Palace captain.
Martínez was conspicuous by his absence as the Villa team bus drew up outside the players’ entrance. It was reported that the club’s former captain was not in the squad because he was not in the right frame of mind, with Manchester United said to be preparing a bid, Jadon Sancho being offered in part exchange.
Villa had apparently not heard anything from United since they rejected a loan bid for their World Cup-winning goalkeeper earlier in the summer. There were loud cheers of appreciation for Marco Bizot, the Dutch goalkeeper signed from Brest in the summer, who earned a clean sheet on debut against Newcastle. Martínez had returned from injury for the defeat at Brentford.
But Unai Emery’s response in his pre-match TV interview was rather odd when asked the reason for his first-choice goalkeeper’s absence. “Marco Bizot,” he replied three times, the last question being: “Will he be your future goalkeeper?”
Bizot’s first serious involvement, however, was to bring down Daichi Kamada, on Palace’s first real attack, and get sent the wrong way by Jean‑Philippe Mateta’s penalty. Palace, such a thorn in Villa’s side last season, knocking them out of both cups and unbeaten in four meetings, had been content to let Villa dominate possession before hitting them on the break.
Emery’s response to a disappointing start to the season in which his team had failed to score and lost their first-choice defensive midfielders to injury was to name a tantalisingly attacking lineup.
Youri Tielemans and John McGinn dropped deeper from their usual attacking berths, and Evann Guessand, making his first Villa start, and Donyell Malen came in alongside Morgan Rogers just behind Ollie Watkins.
after newsletter promotion
So while Tielemans should have done better than head over after short corners at the start and end of the half as Villa took the game to their opponents, there was space for Guéhi to provide the pass to feet for Mateta to send Kamada in behind for the penalty award.
Only Mohamed Salah (13) has scored more Premier League goals than Mateta’s 11 since the start of the year. Villa’s other best chance arrived when Watkins was allowed to run on to McGinn’s long straight pass and get a good touch only for Dean Henderson to make a fine save.
Even after offloading an entire team of players this summer, in net terms (14 out, three in), Villa have plenty of attacking talent to call upon. Emi Buendía came on at half-time for Guessand and the tempo increased, with Rogers moving back wide. Henderson flapped away Tielemans’ howitzer before getting down well to his right to tip aside Rogers’ low shot.
Palace’s relative comfort appeared to have been reduced as Adam Wharton had to be withdrawn with a groin injury that yet again may curtail his international involvement, before a brilliant goal from Guéhi turned the game their way.
The Palace captain started the move from deep in his own half before, unimpeded and invited to proceed, he played the ball wide to Kamada. Since he was up there, and with a team structure filling in behind, Guéhi decided to stay up. When Kamada then won a loose ball off McGinn on the corner of the penalty area, the England defender curled a sumptuous shot into the far top corner.
Palace’s night went from great to even better 12 minutes from time as Maxence Lacroix headed on Jefferson Lerma’s long throw and, at the far post, Ismaïla Sarr nodded in. “Aston Villa, it’s happened again,” sung the triumphant travelling fans, by now thoroughly enjoying their 270-mile round trip on a Sunday night. “Europa League, you’re having a laugh,” sang the followers of the Europa Conference League side.
