Sarr Shines as Palace Thrash Villa 4-1

Ismaïla Sarr bags a brace, Mateta thunders one home, and Nketiah seals the deal as the Eagles soar past Villa in a dominant 4-1 win.

February 25, 2025
11:30 pm

Crystal Palace kept up their awesome late-season run with a solid 4-1 victory over Aston Villa, thanks to Ismaïla Sarr’s two goals that led the Eagles to a fantastic win. That’s eight wins in 12 matches for Oliver Glasner’s squad, who are still chasing a top-half finish in the Premier League.

Aston Villa came to South London hoping to build on their win over Chelsea. They started strong, with Youri Tielemans missing an early chance by heading wide from close range. But Palace found their groove, and their hard work paid off when Emiliano Martínez couldn’t handle Chris Richards’ header, letting Sarr score with a simple tap-in on his 27th birthday.

Feeling pumped from the first goal, the hosts pushed for another, but Martínez stopped Sarr again, and Jean-Philippe Mateta missed a great chance. Villa thought they had equalized just before half-time when Morgan Rogers scored, but Ollie Watkins was offside in the build-up, leaving them frustrated.

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Eager to make things right, Villa came out strong in the second half and equalized quickly. Watkins set up Rogers with a clever flick, and Rogers turned in the box to score a nice goal. But the tie didn’t last long. Palace struck back as Mateta seized a loose ball at the edge of the area and blasted it past substitute keeper Robin Olsen for his 12th league goal of the season.

With the game tight in the last 25 minutes, Villa nearly came back, but Ezri Konsa’s header hit the bar. That miss was crucial, as Palace took advantage moments later when Daniel Muñoz’s perfect cross was volleyed home by Sarr for his second goal of the night. The final blow came deep into stoppage time when Eddie Nketiah scored his first Premier League goal for the club, sealing a big win.

Villa’s tough away form continues, with Emery’s team now losing seven of their last nine league games on the road. The defeat leaves them four points off the top four, while Palace climbs to 12th, just six points behind their beaten rivals.