This may not have been the perfect victory but Aston Villa made it 10 out of 10 wins at home in all competitions by recovering from going behind to gain all three points due to three goals scored after the 87th minute.
In a crazy end to a game that Villa deserved to win but had almost thrown away, Jhon Durán equalised, Douglas Luiz scored a delayed penalty eight minutes into added time before Leon Bailey added a third.
Crystal Palace did everything they could to provide Roy Hodgson with a tonic as they appeared to have extended their unbeaten away start to the season thanks to Odsonne Édouard’s goal two minutes into the second half.
With their manager taken ill on the morning of the game and obliged to stay away, Palace survived a Villa onslaught in the first half to gain the upper hand, Édouard converting Jean-Philippe Mateta’s cross for his fourth Premier League goal of the season.
Then with three minutes of normal time remaining, Durán chested down Lucas Digne’s cross from the left before unleashing a howitzer of a half-volley beyond Sam Johnstone, who had earlier required medical treatment.
The game was eight minutes into the nine allocated as added time when Youri Tielemans put Watkins in on goal but, after the referee gave a penalty for Chris Richards’ challenge, the VAR sent Darren England to the dugout to review the incident. Replays showed the defender may have got a slither of contact on the top of the ball before upending Watkins but it was hardly a clear and obvious error to award the penalty. Going against the grain but staying true to his judgment, the referee deserves credit.
Crystal Palace assistant manager Paddy McCarthy took the team at Villa Park after Roy Hodgson was taken ill on Saturday morning. Photograph: Barrington Coombs/PA
Douglas Luiz sent Johnstone the wrong way to make it 2-1 and, moments later, with Palace not surprisingly totally out of shape, Moussa Diaby broke down the left and crossed for Bailey to score again. Douglas Luiz has now scored in four successive home games in the Premier League, the first Villa player to do so since Gareth Barry in 2006.
So Villa can jet off to Poland this week in high spirits, as they start their Europa Conference League group action against Legia Warsaw, while Palace are left to lick their wounds.
Palace, who lost Jordan Ayew to injury in the first half after Marc Guéhi had failed to recover from the muscle injury he collected on England duty, made light of their absentees to play with heart, organisation and, on the counter-attack, no little creativity, with Eberechi Eze again a stylish outlet. The Palace fans sang ‘Roy Hodgson, he’s one of our own’ and their togetherness is testimony to their manager.
With Palace leading, Unai Emery reacted with increasingly attacking substitutions and when Bailey showed great skill to weave down the right and cross, Durán’s shot was saved after Douglas Luiz headed the ball down for him.
The closest Villa had come before the equaliser arrived when Watkins showed great composure in an increasingly congested Palace box to sandwedge a shot up against the inside of the post. The ball ricocheted back, hit Johnstone on the head, but went out for a corner. That’s when you could start to believe your luck is out.
After Emiliano Martínez saved in the 82nd minute as Eze, ghosting in on Douglas Luiz’s chipped return pass, almost lifted the ball over the goalkeeper for the second goal, Villa finally made their breakthrough, Duran smashing in his third goal for the club in all competitions. Now for Europe.
