Good afternoon and welcome to the live commentary of the Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace at Villa Park.

I hope you all enjoyed Christmas Day but we're back to business in the top flight. This game is crucial for both sides as they look to distance themselves from the relegation zone of the Premier League after difficult starts to their respective seasons.

Paul Lambert's side are currently 13th in the table after taking 19 points from their opening 17 games of the season and are coming into the game off the back of three-straight defeats.

Villa are in dire need of the points to stop their slide down the table and end their current poor run of form in its tracks, but that will be easier said than done under a spirited Palace team.

Palace had an upturn in form with back-to-back wins under new boss Tony Pulis in his second and third game in charge but in their last two matches they've crashed back down to earth with defeats to Chelsea and Newcastle United.

One of the reasons for their blight this season has been Palace's form away from Selhurst Park, as they have taken just three points from eight games on their travels, totaling one win and seven defeats. That will have to improve if they are to avoid the drop.

There may be hope for Palace, as Villa's home form this season has been anything but convincing, as they have lost five games out of eight, winning just two and drawing once. They've conceded twice as many goal as they've scored at Villa Park, so there's more than a glimour of hope for Pulis's side.

The team news has been released and we'll start with the home side.

ASTON VILLA STARTING XI: Guzan, Lowton, Clark, Baker, Luna, Albrighton, El Ahmadi, Weimann, Delph, Agbonlahor, Kozak.

ASTON VILLA SUBS: Steer, Bacuna, Helenius, Bowery, Sylla, Gardner, Tonev.

CRYSTAL PALACE STARTING XI: Speroni, Ward, Mariappa, Parr, Bolasie, Puncheon, Jedinak, Gabbidon, Delaney, Jerome, Bannan.

CRYSTAL PALACE SUBS: Price, Moxey, Campana, Boateng, Jonny Williams, Gayle, Phillips.

Paul Lambert has made three changes to his side that lost time out at Stoke City. Gabriel Agbonlahor comes back into the starting lineup to replace Aleksandar Tonev, Ashley Westwood is suspended so Karim El Ahmadi replaces him, while Chris Herd drops out for Antonio Luna. Christian Benteke is missing with a knee problem.

Pulis makes two changes to his side that lost 3-0 to Newcastle last week, Marouane Chamakh drops out of the side and is replace by Yannick Bolasie, while Jonathan Parr starts instead of Dean Moxey. Barry Bannan returns to Villa Park for the first time since joining Palace in the summer from Villa and starts.

STAT ATTACK! The last time these teams played each other was in the fifth round of the FA Cup in 2010, where Villa ran out 3-1 winners in a replay.

STAT ATTACK! The last time the away side won this fixture was in 1991 when Palace ran out 1-0 winners, a run that has lasted 13 matches.

Lambert believes that Palace's upturn in form is all down to Pulis and his work ethic, he told the club's official website: "He's an infectious guy. He's good company. He's given them a lift. It will be a tough game. Every game is hard in the league. You look at the job he did at Stoke - he didn't get the credit he deserved. The way the club is now is probably down to him. He has his way of playing. You have to respect that. There's no right and wrong way, it's what you think. He's given Palace a lift, there's no two ways about it."

Pulis has stated that he doesn't care how the wins come as long as his side manage to pickup three points, somehow, he told reporters: "I am not worried about that. If we score one goal and the opposition score none, then we get three points. It makes no difference to me. The most important thing is that we get back to what we were doing before Saturday’s defeat to Newcastle.”

The teams are making there way out onto the pitch and we should be underway shortly.

KICKOFF! We're underway at Villa Park.

Early pressure for Villa they raid down the left and Delph whips the ball in with his right foot but Delaney gets up for the visitors to head the ball behind.

The corner comes in from the left from Albrighton but it's headed clear with ease and Palace manage to hack the ball upfield.

Palace raid upfield with Puncheon down the left and he gets to the edge of the box before he whips a ball to the backpost for Jerome but the cross is a bit too high for the striker and his header is collected comfortably by Guzan.

El Ahmadi gets the ball in the centre of midfield and drives forward, Palace back off the midfielder and the crowd want him to take it into the area and shoot but he plays the ball wide to Albrighton, who tries to cross but the effort is blocked.

Unconvincing start to the game from both sides as they are struggling to keep possession and to carve out anything clear cut in front of goal.

Bolasie speeds down the right and manages to get past Luna with a burst of pace but he takes a heavy touch with the ball and knocks it out of play for a goal kick. This game is low on quality at the moment.

A lot of crunch tackles occurring in the centre of midfield and that's where the majority of the play is taking place at the moment, do drive or ambition from either team.

Bannan wins the ball from Kozak and fires a long ball upfield for Jerome to take, he holds the ball on the edge of the area waiting for support and squares the ball for Puncheon when he arrives. The winger shots from 25 yards out but he scuffs his effort badly and it goes well wide of the post for a goal kick.

Gabbidon slips in a bad area of the pitch for Palace and Kozak wins the ball and plays it back to Delph, who releases him down the left flank, he tries to bear down on goal but his effort is blocked and Palace once again clear the danger.

Ward looks for the run of Bolasie deep in the Villa half of the field with a give and go, and the midfielder nearly gets in behind the defence but Baker makes an excellent intervention to stop the ball from reaching the advancing player.

Kozak flicks the ball on with his head looking for the run of Agbonlahor down the left and he tries to cut the ball back for El Ahmadi in the middle of the box, but the ball is cleared behind for a corner by Gabbidon.

Albrighton takes the resulting corner and the ball goes straight into the hands of Speroni. That sort of game at the moment. The locals are getting quite frustrated.

Albrighton gets the ball down the left for Villa and surges past his man to get the ball into the box but once again Speroni gathers it with ease. More frustration from the Villa crowd.

Palace raid upfield themselves now and Bolasie's delivery from the right is better than Albrighton's at the opposite end as it finds Puncheon and he gets a header away but it's comfortably saved by Guzan.

Chances are sparse on the ground here, neither side look at all confident when they have the ball in possession near the box. We need a spark in this game from somewhere to bring it to life somehow!

Jedinak plays a nice through ball looking for the run of Jerome but Baker comes across to make a good challenge and when it's knocked back into the area Guzan comes for the ball to claim it, to kill the attack from the visitors.

Baker goes down under the challenge of Jedinak and there's a slight stoppage in play as he is treated. He seems to be fine though.

YELLOW CARD! Puncheon goes down on the right as Baker brings him down and Howard Webb produces the first yellow card of the game for the defender.

Bannan has a chance to put the Villa defence under pressure with his left-footed delivery from the right but Guzan punches the ball clear and the home side manage clear their lines as Clark heads the ball away from the follow-up cross.

Albrighton whips in a cross from a free kick down the left and Kozak rises highest in the penalty area but he can hardly make any contact on the ball and it's easy pickings for Speroni to claim.

Agbonlahor pushes forward down the middle but Gabbidon makes a good tackle to dispossess him on the edge of the area the ball bobbles back to Delph for 30 yards from goal but he blasts his effort over the bar and wide. Yes, that was absolutely nowhere near.

There will be two minutes of added time.

Jerome collects a through ball from Jedinak again and he speeds down the right but he gets crowded out by Luna as he looks to find a teammate in the area and when he tries to win the ball back he concedes a free kick for a foul on the left-back.

Villa get a chance to threaten late in the half as Albrighton's corner is headed clear but only as far as El Ahamdi on the the edge of the area and his volleyed effort is deflected over the bar. Another chance for Albrighton to whip in a cross.

CHANCE! Baker wins the header from Albrighton's corner and he the ball looks set to find the back of the net but Mariappa is there on the line to head it over, despite pressure from Agbonlahor. That will end the first period.

It's half time at Villa Park and until the last kick of the half it was more or less uneventful. Villa did have that one chance to take the lead but Mariappa did well to control a header over his bar to stop Baker from finding the net, other than that chance there's hasn't been a single opening for either side.

It will be a worry for Villa and Lambert that they have been unable to break down one of the worst teams in the Premier League and the fact that they have created so little. Palace have looked decent on the break and if they had gotten better service in the final third from Jerome and Puncheon, they could very easily be ahead. It's a classic six-pointer here, which team will have the guts to prevail.

We're back underway at Villa Park.

CHANCE! What a chance for Palace as Bolasie robs Luna down the Villa left and he sprints into the box before cutting it back to Puncheon in the middle, the winger can't quite get the ball out of his feet but he finally does and unleashes a shot at goal, but Guzan is there to make the save.

Palace up the pressure in this second half and they win a corner down the right and Bannan takes it, but it's too close to Guzan who makes a comfortable grab.

CHANCE! Delph whips a ball into the box for Agbonlahor who shoots first time on the volley from inside the box, he makes good contact with the ball but his effort flies straight into the hands of Speroni, best chance of the game for Villa.

OFF THE POST! Palace should be ahead as Bannan gets into the area as he collects Bolasie's ball from the right and he fires a shot at goal, which looks to be destined for the bottom corner but Guzan is there with a big hand to push the ball onto the post to deny the former Villa man. What a save by the American!

Weimann shoots from distance as Villa try to re-establish themselves in the game but his effort goes well over the bar.

Agbonlahor runs direct at the Palace defence and they are forced to back off him with his speed, he gets to the edge of the area before pulling the trigger but Speroni makes the save and he holds the ball with ease.

Albrighton threatens down the right and wins his side a corner, he whips the ball into the box himself and Baker rises highest in the penalty area but he can't direct his header at goal.

CHANCE! Palace should be ahead again, as Bolasie has more success down the right and he jinks his way inside and out past Luna and he fires a low cross into the area, which is missed by Bannan but falls to Puncheon who powers a shot at goal but Guzan makes the save.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Puncheon comes off for Palace and is replaced by Jonathan Williams, Villa also make a switch as Bacuna comes on for Luna.

Kozak gets played down the right and finds all sorts of space, he awaits the support of his teammates flocking into the area and he tries to play it back for them, but he chooses the wrong pass and Jedinak is allowed to steal the ball and clear.

SUBSTITUTION: Gayle comes off the bench for Palace to replace Jerome.

After a good start to the half, the pace has dropped right off in the past five minutes or so as both teams are seemingly lacking in ideas at the moment. They're cancelling each other out and it will be up to the managers to figure out another way to break down the opposition.

Palace win a free kick down the right as Bolasie is brought down by Bacuna. Bannan whips the ball in but his cross is easily cleared away but he gets another crack at it, but instead plays it short for Bolasie who tries a ball of his own and his ball goes well over the head of the attackers in the area and out for a throw-in.

SUBSTITUTION: Bowery comes on to replace Kozak for Villa.

Albrighton beats his man down the right for Villa, his powers a loss cross into the area at the near post but Delaney is there to clear the ball away before Agbonlahor can get a touch in the middle. Great intervention by the defender.

CHANCE! Palace again come close as Bolasie teases Bacuna and knocks the ball back to Ward on the edge of the area, and he fires a curling shot at goal which beats the hand of Guzan but goes inches over the crossbar. That was close!

SUBSTITUTIONS: Tonev replaces Weimann for the hosts while Moxey comes on for Bannan for Palace.

Again the tempo has dropped off slightly in the last few minutes as both teams set themselves for a late surge.

CHANCE! Lowton pushes forward from the back, he decides not to shoot, but lifts a cross into the area for Bowery to attack and he makes good contact with the ball and heads at goal but Speroni is there to make the save to tip the ball over the bar.

There will be three minutes of added time.

Palace take the lead as Gayle hits an absolute beauty past Guzan into the net from 20 yards and he curled his effort past the American into the corner to give his side the lead late in the game. What a moment in Palace's season!

Villa push men forward looking for an equaliser but it looks far too late for them today!

WHAT A WIN FOR PALACE! Gayle's strike moves them out of the relegation zone into 17th place above West Ham following their defeat to Arsenal. They are only out on goal difference but it will mean the world to Pulis and their supporters ahead of a tricky visit to Manchester City on Saturday.

That could be soul destroying for Villa. Truth be told they were second best all afternoon and could have been a lot further behind. They didn't have any ideas up front and were duly punished for not being able to find a goal against one of their now relegation rivals, as three points separates the teams now.

Thanks for joining our live commentary this afternoon. We'll be back on Saturday with all the action from the Premier League as it happens. Until then, goodbye.