Crystal Palace are no mugs under manager Oliver Glasner, and the respect Unai Emery showed him when he went into this clash highlighted this. The Spaniard shocked Glasner and Palace when he matched their formation when the starting line-up was revealed. The problem for Villa? We are not used to it and were taught a lesson on the night, putting any hopes of qualifying for Europe in the balance.

Players like Ezri Konsa and Morgan Rogers would have hoped to have impressed new England manager Thomas Tuchel who was in the stands but it proved to be a night to forget with the German likely more impressed by the likes of Palace’s Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze.

VAR was a constant thorn in the side for the visitors all night, but let’s not take away from the home side’s performance. One that Villa had no arguments about was when Ollie Watkins slipped Jacob Ramsey through to score but it was rightly ruled offside.

Minutes later, The Eagles took the lead. Wharton picked out Chris Richards who cushioned the ball into the path of Ismaila Sarr who tapped in from close range.

Palace almost immediately doubled their lead when they counter-attacked Villa but Emi Martinez saved from Sarr at point-blank range.

Villa thought they had got themselves back in the game moments later but once again they were denied by VAR due to offside when Watkins cut the ball back for Rogers who thought he had scored.

Emery’s side eventually got themselves back in the game just after the break when substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen went route one, finding Watkins who headed into the path of Rogers and after some improvisation was able to pull the game level.

The teams were only level for seven minutes when Jean-Philippe Mateta restored the home side’s lead with a low left-footed effort.

Villa introduced Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford but it counted for nothing when Sarr made it 3-1 on the night with a low volley.

The home side completed the route when Eddie Nketiah scored the forth of the night making it a very bad night for Villa.