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.
The result left Villa unable to close the gap on Arsenal, with the dropped points feeling particularly costly given results elsewhere.
Palace, depleted by injuries and still searching for consistency, once again proved stubborn opponents in the middle of their own battle for momentum.
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 saw his effort pushed over by Emiliano Martinez.
Villa gradually settled and began to find space in behind, with Ollie Watkins making several intelligent runs that stretched the home defence.
Watkins was first denied by a sharp save from Dean Henderson 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 appeared content to conserve energy, focusing on staying compact while waiting for openings on the counter.
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 goal.
The home crowd sensed an opportunity as Palace pressed higher, though 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 that never arrived.
The final whistle was met with visible frustration from Unai Emery, who felt his side had done enough to take all three points.
For Palace, the draw extended their winless run but offered encouragement in terms of spirit and organisation despite limited options.
Oliver Glasner’s side again showed resilience, underlining why they remain awkward opponents even during difficult spells.
Villa, however, will view the result as a missed opportunity in a season where fine margins could define the title race.
Failing to capitalise here keeps the gap to Arsenal intact and reinforces the pressure on Emery’s side to be more clinical in decisive moments.
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