Aston Villa missed the chance to apply pressure at the top of the Premier League as they were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park tonight.
The opening stages were cagey, with both sides struggling to impose any real control in a game short on early quality.
Palace threatened first when Brennan Johnson raced onto a well-weighted through ball, but Emiliano Martinez pushed his effort over.
Villa gradually settled and began to find space, with Ollie Watkins making several intelligent runs that stretched the home defence.
A sharp save from Dean Henderson denied Watkins before Maxence Lacroix produced a decisive block to keep the scores level.
Despite Villa’s territorial control, clear chances remained limited in a first half defined by caution rather than urgency.
Palace were content to conserve energy, focusing on staying compact while waiting for openings on the counter-attack.
Villa suffered a blow at the interval when Martinez was forced off with an injury, handing Marco Bizot a rare league appearance.
The visitors attempted to raise the tempo after the restart, with Youri Tielemans firing over after meeting a loose knockdown in the area.
Henderson was then required to react quickly as a deflected effort threatened to loop goalwards during a brief spell of Villa pressure.
Palace responded with greater intent in the final half-hour and began to look the more dangerous side in open play.
Yeremy Pino forced Bizot into a smart save before Jean-Philippe Mateta narrowly failed to connect with a low cross that flashed across the goal.
The home crowd sensed an opportunity as Palace pressed higher, although the final touch continued to elude them.
Villa reasserted themselves late on and came closest to breaking the deadlock when Watkins struck the woodwork from close range.
Morgan Rogers then fired over in the closing moments as Villa pushed for a winner.
The final whistle was met with visible frustration from Villa manager Unai Emery, who felt his side had done enough to take all three points.
Palace once again showed resilience, underlining why they remain awkward opponents even during difficult spells.
