'Better than us': Unai Emery shares what Crystal Palace did well during 4-1 win over Aston Villa

Published 3 weeks ago• 2 minute read

, where they now sit eight points off fifth place.

It was a shock result in many ways – with Aston Villa comfortably in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 and impressing for most of this season – so Unai Emery will surely be scratching his head.

The Spaniard did – however – praise Crystal Palace in his interview after the final whistle.

Speaking to the BBC, the 53-year-old said: “They score a second goal, then they were getting some transitions (counter-attacks). They were better than us in the duels and we lost, but we have to accept it. A little bit disappointed.”

Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images

Emery is not wrong.

WhoScored shows that Crystal Palace – who want Hayden Hackney – remarkably made 32 tackles on Tuesday, compared to just eight from Aston Villa.

Oliver Glasner also watched his side make 23 clearances compared to 14 from the Villans, while Crystal Palace registered one more interception as well with ten in total.

It was a tireless display from the south Londoners – which ended with icing on the cake as Eddie Nketiah scored his first Premier League goal for Crystal Palace in the 91st minute.

A first Palace @premierleague goal for Eddie Nketiah ❤️#CPFC // #CRYAVL pic.twitter.com/lPGyeuTqQH
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 26, 2025

Eight games into the 2024/25 campaign, many were discussing Crystal Palace as relegation candidates after failing to win any of those matches.

However, since securing a 1-0 victory over Tottenham on matchday nine, Crystal Palace have done well enough to sit fourth, in a metaphorical Premier League table which excludes the first eight games.

Take out the first 8 games of the season in which they failed to win, and Palace would be 4th.
They lost Olise and Andersen this summer, Wharton has missed the majority and Chalobah was recalled in January.
Oliver Glasner has done a sensational job.
Top, top manager.
— Dougie Critchley (@DougieCritchley) February 25, 2025

Having been without Adam Wharton and Cheick Doucoure for most of the campaign – and after losing Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen last summer – that is very impressive work from Glasner.