Opposition briefing: Everything you need to know about FA Cup semi-final opponents Aston Villa

Match previews

25 Apr 2025

Crystal Palace are back at Wembley for an FA Cup semi-final (17:15 BST) on Saturday against Aston Villa – before kick-off, it’s time to get the lowdown on our latest opponents…

Factfile

Manager: Unai Emery
Position: 7th
Nickname: The Villans
Ground: Villa Park
Founded: 1874 (151 years ago)

What’s the story?

Chasing a first FA Cup since 1957 and a first major trophy since 1996, seven-times winners Aston Villa are the team standing between Palace and the 2025 showpiece final. An exciting, attack-minded team, Villa have found their best form in recent months, competing across three fronts.

Despite Tuesday's disappointing 2-1 loss at Manchester City, the Villans remain in the mix to finish in the top five and qualify for the Champions League for the second successive season.

Prior to that they had won six domestic fixtures on the spin in both Premier League and FA Cup - a run stretching back to when they came to Selhurst Park in February. January signings Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio have reinvigorated their attacking play, while Youri Tielemans is showing some of the best form of his career.

Unai Emery's team have not only impressed domestically this season. They reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, after impressively qualifying automatically after a top-eight finish in the league phase.

Wins over Bayern Munich, Celtic and RB Leipzig proved the highlights of a memorable campaign. Despite being knocked out by PSG in the last eight, Villa can be proud of an excellent return to European football.

That exit also means the FA Cup is the Villa faithful's last remaining hope of lifting silverware this season.

Daichi Kamada scored the winner when these two sides met in the League Cup back in October, taking Palace into the quarter-finals for the first time since 2012.

The boss

Emery recovered from a bruising experience at Arsenal to remind everyone why he is one of the continent’s most highly respected managers, winning Europa League silverware at Villarreal before transforming Aston Villa from relegation candidates to Champions League contenders - in the space of just 18 months.

His next aim is now to end Villa's trophy drought.

Boot in both camps

Mile Jedinak left Palace in 2016 as one of the club’s greatest captains, joining Aston Villa for the final three years of his career and making 80 appearances. Jedinak captained Palace between 2011 and 2016, sensationally scoring an 89th-minute winner against Peterborough United on the final day of the 12/13 season to secure an eventually-profitable Championship play-off place.

He continued to serve the club with distinction in the Premier League – leading the Eagles out at Wembley in the 2016 FA Cup final

England defender Gary Cahill, who played his first senior football for Villa, who spend two successful years at Palace towards the end of his career, making 45 appearances for the Eagles.

The most successful England manager of modern times, Sir Gareth Southgate played for both from Palace’s youth system in 1990, having joined the club aged 16.

He would later return to formally open Palace’s new Academy facilities after having made 191 appearances for the club, including captaining the club to the First Division title.

Defensive stalwart Southgate was equally celebrated at Villa, lifting the League Cup in his first season in the West Midlands.

Click here for a deeper look at players to have represented both clubs.

Record against Palace

Palace are looking to make it four games unbeaten against Villa this season, after their Carabao Cup victory was followed with a thrilling 2-2 draw at Villa Park in the league before Christmas - Ismaïla Sarr and Justin Devenny with the goals.

Then in February, goals from birthday boy Ismaïla Sarr (two), Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah, saw Palace ease past the Champions League hopefuls - the most recent meeting between the teams.

The Eagles produced one of their best performance in recent years when Villa visited Selhurst Park last season - a 5-0 thrashing on the final day of the 2023/24 Premier League.

Extended Highlights: Crystal Palace 5-0 Aston Villa | Palace TV+

Did you know?

Like so many professional football teams, Aston Villa were formed by a cricket side looking for a sport to play during the tempestuous winter months. Their first match came against a local rugby side, with the first-half played under rugby rules and the second under Association Football rules – somehow, Villa kept a clean sheet.

In 1876, Scotsman George Ramsay happened to spot the players training in Aston Park, and, having been asked to make up the numbers, impressed with his close control and skill on the ball. Soon he was made club captain and drew spectators to watch matches.

In 1888, Villa became one of the 12 founding members of the Football League, heading into the competition as the FA Cup holders. By now George Ramsay was manager, thought to be football’s first professional in the role, and he soon embarked on a golden period, winning six league titles and six FA Cups.

Match Details

Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
Saturday, 26th April
Wembley Stadium
17:15 BST
LIVE Audio commentary on Palace TV+

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