Crystal Palace v Aston Villa Saturday 31st August 2019 // 3pm
31.08.2019
INSIDE THE PROGRAMME CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA SATURDAY 31ST AUGUST 2019 | 3PM K.O.
Directors Steve Parish, Chairman David Blitzer, Joshua Harris Chief Executive Phil Alexander Chief Financial Officer Sean O’Loughlin Sporting Director Dougie Freedman Club Secretary
04
06
10
45
Christine Dowdeswell Head of Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning
03
Scott Guyett Head of Medical Dr. Zaf Iqbal Academy Director Gary Issott Director of U23 Development Mark Bright Head Groundsman Bruce Elliott Commercial Director Barry Webber Operations Director Sharon Lacey Head of Consumer Sales Mike Pink Head of Ticketing Paul McGowan Head of Legal David Nichol Head of Content & Production James Woodroof Head of CRM & Campaigns Tom McGuiness Head of Safeguarding Marcus Puddephatt
70 Programme Editor Dan Blazer Graphic Design Billy Cooke, Luke Thomas Contributors Ben Mountain, Ian King, Dom Fifield, Chris Waters, Grace Cullen, Tash Stephens Photography Neil Everitt, Sebastian Frej, Reuters, Pinnacle, Rex Features Printer Bishops Printers
CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
20
Copers Cope
24
Chris Grierson
27
Junior Eagles
39
Amateur Analysis
50
A Corner of south London
53
Dom Fifield
57
Cuppa in the Canteen
65
Palace XI In Time
72
Leeta Rutherford
31.08.2019
08 CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
31.08.2019
STEVE PARISH
Shall we start with last week’s visit to Manchester United? What a magnificent result after 30 years there without a win – an incredible effort from the team and all the coaching staff. Huge congratulations to Jordan and Patrick for their fine finishes, and to Gary for contributing so much on his Palace debut, but it really was a brilliant effort from all of the team. Not to mention the fantastic away support – I’m sure it will live long in the memory for those lucky enough to be at Old Trafford. Travelling back from Manchester, I read some amazing facts on Twitter. That we’re the most recent team to secure league wins at Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and United. That since February, we have secured the third most points (30) in the 17 games in that period – behind just Manchester City and Liverpool.
That we’re the first club to net a 90th minute winner at Old Trafford in the Premier League era is astonishing, and really is a feather in our cap. These stats really do show what potential this group of players and coaching staff have. Congratulations to Roy who clocked up his 26th Premier League victory for the club, making him our most successful Premier League manager, with many more wins to come I’m sure. But the United result makes Tuesday night’s loss to Colchester United even more disappointing, I suppose. We know that we can achieve so much, yet lose games that – on paper – we really should win. That said, I’m pleased for Sam Woods who made his full debut, as well as several other members of the squad who were able to get some match action under their belts. And congratulations must go to
CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
Colchester United, who we wish all the best in the Third Round. It was great to see so many of you meet members of the Palace squad at the PUMA store on Carnaby Street last week – especially so many young fans. I’m really pleased that we put these sort of events on, as I know just how memorable the experiences can be for young fans especially. A word on today’s visitors – they deserve huge credit for their campaign in the Championship, and are fully deserving of their place back in the Premier League. They were very impressive in their last league outing with Everton securing a 2-0 win, so I am sure will provide stiff opposition for us today. As always, please get behind the team as loudly as possible, as we seek to build on that amazing win at United. Up the Palace!
09
Welcome to the supporters, players, staff and directors of Aston Villa to Selhurst Park today, and welcome to each and every Palace supporter.
31.08.2019
10 CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
31.08.2019
11
Gary Cahill may only just be beginning his time at Palace but the impact of his professionalism is already clear. Here, he speaks with Dan Blazer about fellow defenders, his influences breaking through at Aston Villa and Roy Hodgson as England manager.
CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
31.08.2019
14 CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
31.08.2019
CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
Cahill joined the Villa setup as a 13-year-old, before eventually leaving for Bolton Wanderers after an eightyear spell at Villa Park, and it’s a time he looks back on with fondness: “The majority of my memories are from the youth team, because I was only in the first-team for a small
“MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF LUKA WAS VERY POSITIVE; HE’S CLEARLY A BIG CHARACTER WITHIN THE DRESSING ROOM AND I CAN SEE WHY HE’S GOT THE ARMBAND”
number of games. However, it was an important time for me in terms of growing as a player. “I came straight from school, moved into the club’s digs and then went through the youth team stages, to the reserves and then to training with the first-team. “After a loan to Burnley for six months, I came back and managed to make my Villa debut, which was a real standout moment for me.” Cahill came through at Villa with an age group that would go on
15
Having made his impressive debut against Manchester United at the weekend, it’s clear that Cahill is well regarded by Hodgson. After all, no matter how many times the former Chelsea defender has played at Old Trafford, going there for the first time with your new teammates wouldn’t have been easy. Being trusted in those scenarios highlights why Cahill was selected to be the first man out of the tunnel under Hodgson for England and why he was chosen as the successor to John Terry at Stamford Bridge. Therefore, when a former captain of Cahill’s calibre discusses Luka Milivojevic with nothing but respect and admiration, you listen: “My first impression of Luka was very positive; he’s clearly a big character within the dressing room and I can see why he’s got the armband. He’s got lots of traits I’d look to see in a captain: very authoritative and, first and foremost, an excellent central midfield player.” Having now made his first Premier League appearance for the Eagles, Cahill will be hoping today sees him on the teamsheet for his first runout at Selhurst Park, in front of the loyal and vocal south London support. Today’s opposition Aston Villa are a team that the one-time Villans defender knows well, with the club providing the central defender his breakthrough and footballing education.
COPERS Sebastian Frej
A behind the scenes look at first-team training, with Roy Hodgson and his coaching staff putting the squad through their paces ahead of today’s clash against Aston Villa.
WILFRIED ZAHA
31.08.2019
30 CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
31.08.2019
FANTASY FIVE Throughout this season, we are asking the Palace squad for the five-a-sde team they’d choose based on a certain criteria.
DM
AR
SB
This week, we asked James McArthur to choose five players from his international career.
SM
DEF
DEF
31
GK
KT
DAVID MARSHALL “He’s very good at commanding his box, taking crosses and making sure defenders know what they’re doing.”
ANDY ROBERTSON “A very good player at Hull but he’s gone on to become in my opinion one of the best left backs in Europe.”
MID
KIERAN TIERNEY “Great energy. Doesn’t care who he’s playing against, he’ll kick his granny as we say in Scotland."
ATT
SCOTT BROWN “When I was playing for Scotland he was always the leader in my opinion. Most games he played he was the best player on the park. He’s good on the ball and is underrated.”
SHAUN MALONEY “The work he did for the team off the ball was amazing. On the ball, he’s very good and very hard to get it off of him. He always had that stepover and he was away. Had a great free kick as well!”
CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
31.08.2019
ASTON VILLA THE VILLANS
PREVIEW 36
Aston Villa have won just one of their last 13 away games in all comps against Palace W1 D6 L6
FROM THE DUGOUT
“OUR PERFORMANCES HAVE BEEN OK. SPURS WAS TOUGH FIRST UP… EVERTON STARTED BRIGHTER BUT IT WAS A GOOD PERFORMANCE TO GET THE WIN.”
Aston Villa will be looking to win consecutive Premier League games for the first time since May 2015, when they beat Everton (3-2) and West Ham United (1-0) under Tim Sherwood. Keeping on the consecutive ‘theme’, if the Villans keep a clean sheet today, it will mean they’ve not conceded in back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since January 2015. It won’t be easy for Dean Smith’s side, though, with Crystal Palace having won 10 Premier League matches in 2019; only Manchester City (19), Liverpool (16) and Arsenal (12) have registered more victories since the turn of the year. Furthermore, Villa have failed to win any of their last 19 Premier League away games (W0 D3 L16), including having lost their last six in London, scoring just three goals and conceding 16.
CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
If Roy Hodgson guides his Eagles to victory, he will become only the second manager to beat a particular club in the Premier League as manager of five different sides, after Sam Allardyce against Newcastle United (Big Sam defeated the Magpies whilst in charge of Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Everton, Sunderland and West Ham). And the stats look good for the Palace manager, with Hodgson having won more Premier League games against Villa than he has against any other side (P11 W7 D2 L2). Having made his Eagles debut last weekend against Manchester United, Gary Cahill could well be in line for his first goal for the south Londoners with the former England captain having previously scored a brace for Bolton against Villa back in March, 2011.
31.08.2019
DID YOU KNOW?
Aston Villa are ninth in the all-time Premier League table having played 927 games in the competition.
MOST WINS
MOST GOALS
Gareth Barry
Gabriel Agbonlahor
130
74
Alan Wright
Dwight Yorke
107
Dion Dublin
48
102 Steve Staunton
Juan Pablo ร ngel
44
31 07
05 08
25
16
15
27
43 17
CLASSIC
Bunn Bacuna Okore Lescott Cissokho Gueye Westwood Veretout Gil
AWAY
1-0
LAST TIME OUT
19
Kozรกk Ayew
SUB
37
99
31 07 05 16 43 08 15 17 25 27 19
HOME
60
Gabriel Agbonlahor
ASTON VILLA FORM GUIDE
06 Clark W
CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
L
L
W
W
31.08.2019
54 CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
31.08.2019
PROUD & PALACE
On the 6th of July 2019, Crystal Palace made a commitment to support the Pride celebrations in the annual Pride March. The Eagles partnered up with ‘Proud and Palace’, our LGBTQ+ supporters’ group with support from a group of Crystal Palace full-time staff and our mascot Pete. It was a fantastic day, with fellow London clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Watford and Tottenham Hotspur present, demonstrating a united front from the ‘football family.’ A total of 30,000 people attended the march, with another 1.5million people drawn to the centre of the capital to support the Pride March. It was a wonderful event carried out in a great atmosphere, with Crystal Palace delighted to be able to promote equality and celebrate diversity throughout our club. The marchers wore specially designed t-shirts and, carrying Proud
and Palace flags, the group marched from Regents Park to Trafalgar Square alongside other LGBTQ+ football fans. Emma Wright, who is Co-Chair of Proud and Palace, added the following comments about the successful events. She said: “This year Proud and Palace had our biggest ever presence at Pride in London and Croydon Pride.” Proud and Palace member Kate said: “I was loving every second of it, being able to finally be myself, without the worry of homophobic abuse supported by what felt like 30 new friends. We couldn’t help having a bit of banter with Chelsea marching in front of us, in true Palace style the chants of ‘can you hear the Chelsea sing?’ soon started.” Wright continued: “The next weekend was Croydon Pride and we were out again, with both events timely reminders of the club’s support and identity as a club for
CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
everyone.” Member Anne-Britt spoke of her motivation for getting involved: “As someone from a minority background, supporting my beloved CPFC, as a member of the active fan base, hasn’t always been as easy as it should be. I love my club and I want to be proud of every part of it and that includes it being a club that everyone and anyone can support as an equal.’ Wright added: “Now the season is back underway we want to carry that energy and support into matchdays to make sure everyone feels welcome at Selhurst. You can’t always know whether the person sat next to you is LGBTQ+ but when fans hear fellow fans using derogatory language it does nothing but create division at a time when eve-ryone needs to pull together.” Follow @ProudandPalace on Twitter if you have any questions.
55
ANNUAL PRIDE MARCH 2019
31.08.2019
INVEST IN WHAT YOU LOVE 56 CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
This week, it was Kian Flanagan’s turn to grab a cuppa with us. Last season’s U23 Player of the Season spoke passionately about cars, the influence of Andros, Luka and Macca and what changed in pre-season last year.
31.08.2019
68 CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
69
31.08.2019
MANCHESTER UNITED 1 CRYSTAL PALACE 2 OLD TRAFFORD SATURDAY 24TH AUGUST
CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA