Aston Villa 2-2 Crystal Palace: Ross Barkley spares host’s blushes with late header to disclaim Oliver Glasner’s aspect a treasured win within the rain

The rain poured all afternoon in Birmingham and the wind swirled around Villa Park.

Amid the torrential downpour of Storm Bert, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa were facing a potential storm of their own until Ross Barkley salvaged a point against Crystal Palace, 13 minutes from time.

For Emery, four defeats in a row going into this game was a first in a managerial career spanning over a thousand games.

Not since November 2021 when a Villa side managed by Dean Smith lost five on the trot had they endured such a run. That run resulted in the sacking of Smith.

Given how Emery has transformed things in these parts – Villa welcome Juventus in the Champions League midweek – such an outcome would be unthinkable but this blip is turning into a crisis. They have now gone six games without a win in all competitions.

A point did little to please Emery after a thrilling game where Villa dominated possession but were too open defensively and missed a crucial first-half penalty, when the score was 1-1.

Ross Barkley (left) was the hero for Aston Villa as he rescued a point against Crystal Palace

The midfielder rose highest late in the game to nod in an equaliser in the torrential rain

It was a goal that spared the blushes of boss Unai Emery on a day that threatened defeat

‘At home, we are thinking how strong we were winning 15 games in a row (last season) and how we can recover that confidence,’ said Emery. 

‘We are missing opportunities, conceding chances for the opponent and making some mistakes,’ the Villa boss added.

Four minutes in, Crystal Palace took a surprise lead through Ismaila Sarr after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s through ball found the Senegal international, who held off Ian Maatsen and finished wonderfully past Emiliano Martinez in front of the Holte End.

It took Villa until the 28th minute to test Dean Henderson, who made a brilliant stop to deny Ollie Watkins but he wasn’t to be kept out for long.

In the 37th minute, Watkins rounded Henderson and finished into an empty net after a lovely ball from John McGinn.

The goal woke Villa Park up, with Leon Bailey rattling the crossbar shortly after and Villa should have been ahead at the break but instead found themselves behind after a crazy passage of play.

Referee Tim Robinson awarded a penalty following a VAR check after Will Hughes fouled Bailey but Henderson saved spectacularly and 57 seconds later, Palace re-took the lead from a devastating counter as Sarr squared to Justin Devenny, who made his Northern Ireland debut earlier in the week, and the 21-year-old slotted past Martinez.

From a Villa perspective, it was shambolic a fortnight after Liverpool ruthlessly exploited their weakness in terms of having such a high line from their own setpieces.

Ismaila Sarr (left) got the opening goal of the game as Villa continued to be too lax defensively

Ollie Watkins managed to fire them back level as the home crowd roared Emery’s side on

Things unravelled before the half when Palace restored their lead through Justin Devenny

Emery’s side came into this game on the back of four defeats but this helps stop the rot

‘I told my players before that how Villa play fits perfectly with the players we have because of the space there is to run into’, said Crystal Palace boss, Oliver Glasner.

Emery admitted it was a concern. At half-time, he put on Matty Cash for Lamare Bogarde before turning to Jhon Duran 20 minutes from time and though Barkley headed in from Tielemans’s corner, it was Palace who came closest to winning the game when Martinez tipped Jeffrey Schlupp’s strike onto the post.

‘There are two main feelings – I’m extremely proud of the team but I’m disappointed because we led twice,’ said Glasner, whose side remain without an away league win this season. For Villa, who were booed off by sections of their support, things must improve quickly.