LONDON (Reuters) -Ismaila Sarr scored twice on his 27th birthday to help Crystal Palace to a deserved 4-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa at Selhurst Park on Tuesday, putting a dent in the visitors’ hopes of Champions League football next season.
Villa dropped to 10th place in the table with 42 points from 28 games, while Palace climbed to 12th with 36 points from 27.
Palace dominated the chances as they secured just a third home win of the campaign, with in-form striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah also on target in a polished performance that was full of attacking threat.
Villa twice had the ball in the back of the net for goals that were ruled out for offside, but they did not create nearly enough in the final third and could only score what proved a consolation through Morgan Rogers.
Villa had two shots on target in the game and one resulted in their goal, but it was defensively where they struggled as they were cut open on numerous occasions by their hosts.
Palace had 19 goal attempts and took the lead just before the half-hour mark. Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez could only parry Chris Richards’ header from a free kick and Sarr had a simple tap-in from the rebound.
Rogers netted for Villa after a fast break, but Ollie Watkins was millimetres offside in the build-up.
Robin Olsen replaced Martinez in goal for Villa at halftime and they were level seven minutes into the second period.
It was route one football as Olsen launched the ball forward, Watkins flicked it on and Rogers spun in the penalty-box and fired the ball low into the bottom right corner.
Mateta restored the home side’s lead with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box for his 15th goal of the season in all competitions, and his eighth in as many Premier League games.
Ezri Konsa’s looping header from a corner landed on top of the Palace crossbar, but it was the home side who extended their advantage.
Sarr’s volley from Daniel Munoz’s cross was expertly steered past Olsen, before substitute Nketiah got in on the act with his first goal for the club, and first in the Premier League since October 2023.
He could hardly miss with a close-range tap-in to add more gloss to a superb night for Palace.
(Reporting by Nick SaidEditing by Toby Davis)
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