Fans were left shocked as a young and angry Aston Villa fan made a naughty gesture towards a Crystal Palace player during the Carabao Cup clash at Villa Park. The match saw Palace continue their mini revival, beating high-flying Villa to reach the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
England star Eberechi Eze opened the scoring for Crystal Palace inside ten minutes, rising highest to nod home Daniel Munoz’s cross. Aston Villa, competing in the Champions League this season, equalised midway through the first half through in-form Jhon Duran, who converted Leon Bailey's cross. However, Palace substitute Daichi Kamada, who replaced the injured Eze shortly after his first-half opener, scored the winner with half an hour remaining after latching onto a poor pass from Villa's Diego Carlos.
Crystal Palace managed to see the game out relatively comfortably after restoring their lead. Colombian star Munoz risked the wrath of the home fans while attempting to waste time in injury-time, kicking the ball in the direction of the advertising hoardings. The strike hit a ball boy, prompting gasps from the Villa faithful and complaints from the players, including Tyrone Mings, who confronted him. Munoz quickly approached the ball boy to apologise, and the pair shared a heartwarming hug before he gestured an apology towards the Aston Villa fans, which was met with warm applause by most inside Villa Park. However, one young fan, sitting in the front row, was notably seen giving Munoz the finger.
Crystal Palace, which had gone eight league games without a win at the start of the season, recently defeated Tottenham before knocking Aston Villa out of the Carabao Cup. They have now been drawn against Premier League title challengers Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
After the win, Palace midfielder Will Hughes reflected on the importance of the match, stating, “It was good, I think, coming off the back of a much-needed win on Sunday in the league. It was good to carry that momentum.” He elaborated on their need to maintain intensity and energy moving forward.
Aston Villa have had a strong start to the new season, climbing to fourth in the Premier League and achieving significant wins over Bayern Munich, Young Boys, and Bologna in the Champions League. Despite this, manager Unai Emery expressed disappointment as Villa's Carabao Cup run ended against a Crystal Palace side sitting 17th in the Premier League. He mentioned starting with a strong squad, including key players like Tyrone Mings and Diego Carlos, and acknowledged the need for continued development: “Of course I am disappointed and frustrated, but we competed with the players to get the performance.”
Crystal Palace will return to Premier League action this weekend against Wolves, while Aston Villa travels to north London to face Tottenham. According to Metro.co.uk, both teams will be looking to build on their recent performances as the season progresses.