Aston Villa 1-2 Crystal Palace: Daichi Kamada fires Eagles into last eight of Carabao Cup to ease the pressure on Oliver Glasner – but visitors lose TWO key players to injury
- Glasner’s side caused an upset with victory at high-flying Aston Villa
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Daichi Kamada’s delightful second-half winner further eased the pressure on Oliver Glasner and wrecked Aston Villa’s hopes of Carabao Cup glory.
Japan midfielder Kamada did not start the game but how he finished, replacing the injured goalscorer Eberechi Eze before striking an exquisite winner in the 64th minute.
Villa boss Unai Emery gambled by making 10 changes to the side who drew 1-1 with Bournemouth on Saturday with captain John McGinn the sole survivor.
Ultimately, it backfired and Villa’s wait for a first trophy since they lifted the League Cup in 1996 goes on.
Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara both made their first starts since recovering from ACL injuries – with the former appearing for the first time in 445 days.
Daichi Kamada was the match-winner for Crystal Palace as they stunned Aston Villa
The Japanese midfielder fired home from 25 yards as Palace eased the pressure on Oliver Glasner
Mings, in particular, came through the game well but Villa, who fashioned a first-half leveller through Jhon Duran, ultimately had no answer to Kamada’s touch of class.
Glasner has come under increasing scrutiny following Palace’s dreadful start to the season and made just three alterations following Sunday’s win over Tottenham – their first in the Premier League this term.
USA goalkeeper Matt Turner was handed a debut and Palace led in the eighth minute when Daniel Munoz cross delivered a dangerous cross from the right flank and Eze headed home powerfully.
The England man was forced off with a knock in the 18th minute and Villa upped the tempo before fashioning an equaliser midway through the first half.
The ball fell invitingly to Duran inside the 18-yard box and he once again displayed his finishing prowess with a sweetly-struck left-foot strike which Turner got a hand to but could not keep out.
Palace were then dealt another blow when midfielder Adam Wharton was substituted in clear discomfort as Villa began to turn the screw.
After the break, Duran hit a powerful effort which Turner repelled before firing just wide as the hour mark approached.
But in the 64th minute, Kamada seized on an errant pass from Diego Carlos.
The summer signing from Lazio collected possession around 25 yards from goal and created a space to drill a low, right-foot shot into the net.
