Why Crystal Palace could face a weakened Aston Villa side in Carabao Cup 4th Round clash

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Crystal Palace have been drawn against Aston Villa in the 4th Round of the Carabao Cup.

The tricky fixture – which was announced in the Carabao Cup draw on Wednesday night – is expected to take place on Tuesday 29th October, with the Villans hosting the Round of 16 clash at Villa Park.

Aston Villa are a fierce opponent nowadays, with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Jhon Duran and John McGinn in the ranks, led by a smart tactician in Unai Emery, so it will not be an easy task for Oliver Glasner to reach the 5th Round.

However, there is one reason why we believe Crystal Palace could face a weakened Aston Villa side in this Carabao Cup 4th Round tie…

Why Crystal Palace should be optimistic against Aston Villa

Crucially for the Villans, this Carabao Cup game comes right in the midst of a hectic period.

As you can see below, Emery must first prepare his side for a UEFA Champions League clash against Bologna on Tuesday 22nd October, before a Premier League game against Bournemouth at the same venue just four days later.

• Aston Villa vs Bologna (Tuesday 22nd October)
• Aston Villa vs Bournemouth (Saturday 26th October)
• Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace (Tuesday 29th October)
• Tottenham vs Aston Villa (Sunday 3rd November)

The Carabao Cup clash then arrives three days later on Tuesday 29th October, before Aston Villa must also take on Tottenham in N17 on Sunday 3rd November.

It means Aston Villa must contend with four games in 13 days, and presumably, those at Villa Park will view a Carabao Cup game as being of lesser importance compared to UEFA Champions League and Premier League affairs.

Therefore, Aston Villa could opt to rest their best players against us, giving Glasner a better chance of guiding Crystal Palace into the Carabao Cup Quarter-Final.

Bogey fixture

Crystal Palace have endured a wretched time at Villa Park since promotion in 2013.

Aside from Dwight Gayle netting a 90th minute to secure a 1-0 win back in December 2013, the Eagles have not won a single game at Villa Park ever since.

Hopefully, we can break this barren spell at Villa Park in the Carabao Cup 4th Round.