Sliding straight into the mix, Crystal Palace is squaring off against Aston Villa. We have a decent amount of data to wade through, so let's get our trousers rolled up.
First off, in goal, we have a couple of gents who've been earning their keep between the sticks. Robin Olsen and Emiliano Martinez from the Villa side have been impressive, albeit slight edge to Olsen with a rating of 7.45 over Martinez's 6.97. As for Palace's defense, they're resting their hopes on Dean Henderson. Bit lower in rating at 6.68, but, hey, the man's delivered 11 saves — you can't argue with that.
Moving on, let's talk firepower. Moussa Diaby, Leon Bailey, and Youri Tielemans seem to be having themselves a fine time in the Villa camp: decent ratings, goal on record, and admirable passing accuracy. Palace's Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, and Jean-Philippe Mateta, however, are well, just crushing it, with gratuitous commendations for Olise. The man has 4 goals and an 8.02 rating, bringing back memories of Pele in his prime.
Looking at history, the Villa has made it a habit of schooling Palace, as our last two encounters would suggest. Records don't lie, and the Villa's 20-8-9 stands tall over Palace's slightly laughable 12-10-15.
Yet, let's not get carried away. There are other fish in this sports bar. Considering recent results, Palace seems to be hitting a bit of a groove, while Villa appears slightly shaky — I've seen firmer jelly.
I'm a man of numbers, and in this case, it's the numbers choosing the side. Time to put my neck on the line, etch it in stone, let's deliver today's prophecy.
Albert’s Prediction: Crystal Palace by 1