Only Chelsea (one) and Liverpool (one) have lost fewer Premier League matches than Palace this season, with the Eagles suffering just two defeats in their opening 12 matches, but they have been the draw specialists, sharing the points on seven occasions, winning only three times.
A total of 16 points from 12 games represents a solid start to the campaign, with the capital outfit currently sitting 10th in the table, just four points behind fifth-placed Arsenal heading into the next set of fixtures.
Patrick Vieira’s side recorded back-to-back 2-0 wins over Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of their trip to Burnley last weekend, and they would have fancied their chances of collecting another three points against Sean Dyche’s team.
Palace twice led at Turf Moor, with Christian Benteke (two) and Marc Guehi on the scoresheet, but Burnley scored three goals of their own, as the points were shared in a 3-3 draw.
The Eagles will welcome Villa on Saturday before back-to-back away matches against Leeds United and Manchester United, and it will be fascinating to see what the club can achieve this season under Vieira.
A run of five straight Premier League defeats between October 3 and November 5 saw Dean Smith lose his position as Villa boss, and the club moved quickly to appoint Gerrard as his replacement.
The former Liverpool captain would have been desperate to get off to the perfect start against Brighton last weekend and that proved to be the case, as late goals from Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings secured a 2-0 victory over the Seagulls at Villa Park.
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The result moved Villa into 15th position in the table, with the team winning four, drawing one and losing seven of their 12 Premier League matches this term to collect 13 points.
Saturday’s clash is even more vital for Gerrard’s team considering that two of their next three in the league are against title challengers Man City and Liverpool.
Villa recorded a 3-0 win over Palace when the two teams locked horns at Villa Park last term, but they suffered a 3-2 defeat in the clash at Selhurst Park on May 16.
