Ruthless Palace punish Aston Villa as Dibu Martinez moves closer to Man Utd move

Jean-Philippe Mateta opened the scoring for the Eagles with a first-half penalty, and their lead was extended in the second half by Marc Guehi and Ismaïla Sarr.

Despite Aston Villa controlling possession and multiple attempts on goal, they were unable to score, largely due to crucial saves from Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

The absence of Villa's regular goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was keenly felt. His replacement, Marco Bizot, conceded the penalty that led to the opening goal.

Martinez has been heavily linked with a deadline day move to Manchester United, a topic Villa manager Unai Emery refused to address in his pre-match press conference.

The defeat leaves Aston Villa with just one point, placing them in the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace's victory, which keeps them unbeaten, propels them to eighth position in the league.

Palace defender Guehi is also subject to transfer speculation, with Liverpool reportedly preparing a second bid for the club captain before the deadline.