One of the two victories Crystal Palace enjoyed when they were last in the WSL two seasons ago was against Aston Villa at Gander Green Lane, albeit the Villians did defeat the Eagles 3-2 the last time the pair met in the Midlands.
So, ahead of this Sunday afternoon Women's Super League clash, check out our preview, predictions, team news and TV guide.
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace match info
- Date: Sunday 27 September 2026.
- Kick off times: 2pm (local) & 9am (ET)
- Competition: Barclays Women's Super League
- Venue: Brisbane Road - East London,
- How to watch: Sky Sports (UK) and Paramount+ (USA).
How can I watch Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace?
Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
UK & Ireland | Sky Sports+ |
United States | Paramount+ |
Canada | Sportsnet Plus |
New Zealand and Oceania | Sky Sport 5 |
Austria, Germany and Switzerland | sportdigital+ |
Southeast Asia | beIN SPORTS |
Norway | VG+ |
Sweden | TV4 Play |
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace match preview
Aston Villa have endured something of a rough start to this season, so can this be the day they finally claim that illusive first win? Last Sunday, the Claret and Blue Army were demolished 4-0 by Tottenham at Brisbane Road, all the goals coming during a disastrous second half.
As a result, on Tuesday, it was confirmed that Natalia Arroyo had been sacked as head coach, having been appointed back in January 2025. Former Everton boss Brian Sørensen has been placed in caretaker charge, making this something of an audition for the Dane.
Well, he did make a winning start in mid-week, with Aston Villa beating Newcastle 3-1 at Keys Park in the League Cup; Lily Murphy breaking the deadlock, before Lucia Kendall scored twice to snatch victory late on. Back in the WSL, the Villans are currently second-bottom, having yielded only two points from their four fixtures so far. However, having faced Chelsea, champions Manchester City, Brighton and Spurs, those are far from easy fixtures, adding extra importance to this one.
As for newly-promoted Crystal Palace, they have generally been competitive upon their return to the top division. Jo Potter's team were involved in the game of weekend last time round, playing out a 3-3 draw with Birmingham City across the second city at St Andrew's. Shanade Hopcroft, Beth England and Lexi Lloyd-Smith all scored, only for the Blues to pinch a point late on.
Before this, the Eagles also held Arsenal to a goalless draw, having beaten Everton on the opening weekend at Gander Green Lane. The only blot on Palace's copy book is a 7-0 thrashing when Tottenham visited Selhurst Park, albeit Fūka Tsunoda's seventh minute red card certainly skewed that outcome. So, the visitors will be no push-overs, but Aston Villa may feel this clash is must win.
Aston Villa team news
Brian Sørensen made eight changes for the mid-week League Cup win, Mathilde Harviken, Anna Patten and Miri Taylor the only players to keep their places, so he will have had a good chance to assess his squad. Lucia Kendall scored twice off the bench against Newcastle, thereby hoping to return to the starting lineup this time.
Crystal Palace team news
Similarly, Crystal Palace beat South London rivals Charlton in the WSL Players Cup on Wednesday, with Jo Potter also making eight changes for that one, but will largely revet back to last Sunday's lineup. This includes striker Beth England, who is chasing down Vivianne Miedema's record as the all-time top scorer in WSL history.
Predicted Line-ups
- Aston Villa predicted lineup: Ōkuma; Wilms, Harviken, Patten, Maritz; Kendall, Parker, Taylor, Vangsgaard; Grant, Hijikata.
- Crystal Palace predicted lineup: Peyraud-Magnin; Napier, Swaby, Bartrip, Goldie; Everett, Hopcroft, O'Brien, Blanchard, Lloyd-Smith; England.
- Score prediction: Aston Villa 2-0 Crystal Palace.
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