Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC One

Aston Villa were magnificent, Dean Smith would've said at half time that he needs them to give a bit extra to play with 10 men. They were the better team, they created more chances.

Defenders wanted to defend and enjoyed defending and midfielders were running around and fighting for the team. Ollie Watkins didn't score but he gave those Palace defenders a torrid afternoon.

Aston Villa are now up to sixth, with a game in hand at least on all the five sides above them.

Arsenal won only two of their last 17 Premier League matches versus Chelsea (W2-D6-L9): home triumphs on 24 September 2016 (3-0) and 19 January 2019 (2-0).

Image source, BBC Sport

That point for Fulham moves them closer to safety, and to Arsenal.

Goals from Bertrand Traore, Kortney Hause and Anwar El Ghazi give Villa a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Not even the sending off of England centre-half Tyrone Mings in first-half injury time could stop them.

For Palace it's a heavy defeat this Saturday after an even heavier defeat last Saturday.

Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert on Football Focus

The greater problem at Arsenal has been the recruitment. It's been poor. When they signed Nicolas Pepe for £72m they didn't really need him. They needed to sort it out at the back. Looking at them and some players, they don't seem that bothered they're losing games.

Jermaine Beckford
Ex-Leeds Utd striker on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Mikel Arteta is going into this game on the worst run he could've possibly imagined - there's no pressure because Chelsea are fifth and everyone is expecting a Chelsea win. He's got a lot of young players, Arteta is trying to change the mentality behind the scenes but it's difficult because the results are not there.

They've been playing pretty decent football at times so we see signs of improvement and then we see a soppy goal conceded.

What a season for the Arsenal.

Dean Smith will be absolutely delighted with the performance of his Villa side. They've been a man down since just before half time, but they are on their way to three very well deserved points.

Villa were in a relegation battle right down to the wire last season, they won't have similar worries this campaign.

VAR prevent Southampton from an away win but a goalless draw was probably about right.

Reset, forget it and move on.

Ollie Watkins has been a real problem for the Palace defence and he again uses his pace to get away a shot. Vicente Guaita, rather uncertainly, parries it clear.

Watkins deserves a goal today and then nearly gets it moments later but shoots against the post.

Palace, for their feeble efforts today, deserve double training tomorrow. They've been shocking.

A first chance for Aleksandar Mitrovic and not a bad dig at all - he flashes a volley wide from the edge of the area.

If you call your son Neeskens you'd best hope he's decent at football. Senor Kebano is on for Fulham as we approach the full-time whistle and a very forgettable afternoon's work.

FOUR minutes to be added on,

A decent effort from Eberechi Eze, hard and low with the side foot, but Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who has done nothing wrong, makes a very tidy save, diving low to his left.

Joel Ward then misjudges a cross and nearly beats a back-peddling Martinez, but the ball bounces off the bar.

Paul: Palace look truly dreadful today - if they would have played like this against Liverpool it would have been a cricket score!

JB: First time for saying this. I will always be eternally grateful for everything Roy has done for Palace since he took over. It’s time for him to go though. This is utterly shambolic, we look clueless going forward and (for a RH team) defending. Not good enough.

Ash Williams: Palace have no fight or desire. Conceded more against 10 men in 30 minutes then they did v 11 in 45 minutes.

Andros Townsend comes on for Palace with Jeffrey Schlupp replaced.

Eberechi Eze is the next man to be booked, diving in on Jack Grealish and catching the England midfielder.

NO GOAL.

Che Adams was indeed offside before his cross was buried by Theo Walcott.

Goalless we remain.

Video Assistant Refereepublished at 16:43 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2020

16:43 GMT 26 December 2020

Fulham 0-1 Southampton

Che Adams may be a toenail offside in the build-up. We've got lines on the pitch...

Image source, PA Media

Martin Keown
Former Arsenal defender on BBC One

Absolutely dispatched from Anwar El Ghazi - clinical football. Dean Smith should have a massive smile on his face after seeing that one - top quality finish. It's cleared, Jack Grealish again and he tries to find a through ball for Ollie Watkins and for once his touch almost lets him down so he rolls it back to El Ghazi. Boy, what about that for a finish.

Great football from Aston Villa. When you've got that amount of quality around the ball, look what they're capable of. What a beautiful strike.