Unai Emery stated the Villans weren’t good enough to finish in the top five, and Oliver Glasner confirmed his pending Eagles departure.
| Aston Villa and Crystal Palace fallout | Odds |
|---|---|
| Villa to lose at Fenerbahce | 2.65 |
| Villa to lose at Newcastle | 2.00 |
| Palace to lose to Chelsea | 2.00 |
| Palace to lose at Forest | 2.10 |
Odds courtesy of Betway. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
What happened with Emery and Glasner
Aston Villa have had a brilliant season in the Premier League in 2025/26. Under Unai Emery’s guidance, they’ve exceeded expectations and shone time and again. With 22 games played, the Villans are level on points with Manchester City.
However, Villa’s recent results haven’t been good, as they’ve won just one of their last four league matches. Defeat to Everton over the weekend came as a shock, especially since they played at home, but it wasn’t as shocking as Emery’s response. "We are not a contender to be in the top five - we are still not being contenders,” he stated.
It was a peculiar response from the Spaniard, especially considering his side are currently seven points clear of fourth place. The Villa boss was evidently dissatisfied with the outcome of the match, but his team’s reaction will be fascinating. What sort of message is he sending to his players?
Meanwhile, Oliver Glasner’s side went through a difficult period, from losing to Macclesfield in the FA Cup to selling Marc Guehi to Manchester City. At the same time, their manager’s departure was announced, and he openly criticised the club’s owners.
“I feel that we’re being abandoned completely,” he told the media. This statement came after a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland, which extended the Eagles’ winless streak to 10 games across all competitions. With Guehi gone and Glasner to leave soon, Palace’s future is uncertain.
There could be fallout for both clubs
Villa have a challenging schedule, so their situation won’t get any easier. They face the cauldron of Fenerbahce away on Thursday, followed by a trip to St. James’ Park. Neither the Turkish giants nor Newcastle United will be easy to defeat.
The men from Birmingham have excelled in so many ways in 2025/26, so Emery’s comments couldn’t have been received well. They’ve also had inconsistent results since they lost their unbeaten run against Arsenal, winning two of the four following games. The big concern is whether they can keep their pace.
On paper, their home game against the Toffees should’ve been much easier than trips to Istanbul and Newcastle. A 1-0 defeat was clearly a huge disappointment. There are – and with good reason – concerns regarding their performance for the rest of this week.
Meanwhile, Palace have two upcoming fixtures against Chelsea and Nottingham Forest. The Blues haven’t been in the best of form, but they’ll back themselves at Selhurst Park. The Eagles have been weakened by their poor run of form, in addition to Glasner’s comments and the departure of their captain.
Glasner’s men will travel to the City Ground after that, and their away form hasn’t been good recently. The Tricky Trees are having a difficult time themselves, though they’ll be encouraged by their draw with league leaders, Arsenal. Sean Dyche’s men have a busy schedule ahead, but have lost just three of their nine home games since their current boss was appointed.
Palace are likely to continue struggling, and Glasner’s comments won’t have helped matters. After last season’s success, the 2025/26 campaign could prove to be pretty miserable for the men in blue and red.