Goals from two players who previously served Aston Villa’s Midlands rivals consigned Tim Sherwood’s team to a second successive defeat, as Crystal Palace edged a tight game at Selhurst Park.
Bakary Sako, starting his first game for Palace since signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer, scored an 88th-minute winner to reward a much-improved second-half display from Alan Pardew’s side.
Earlier Scott Dann, the former Birmingham City defender, had headed the home side into the lead, before Pape Souaré put through his own net in the 77th minute to level the scores.
Sherwood had handed a first start of the season to Jack Grealish, the young midfielder, while Adama Traoré was included on the bench for the first time since his £7 million transfer from Barcelona.
Grealish and Traoré carry a heavy weight of expectation this season, with Grealish in particular under pressure to impress his manager after his summer antics that included the young player being photographed asleep on a Tenerife pavement, prompting Sherwood to admit this week, “I love him and hate him at the same time.”
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Operating behind the front pair of Gabriel Agbonlahor and Rudy Gestede, Grealish made an early impression, returning Joel Ward’s mishit clearance into the path of Agbonlahor, who was denied by an excellent save from Alex McCarthy, the Palace goalkeeper.
Later in the half Grealish forced another fine save from McCarthy with a rising, left-footed drive from a tight angle as Villa sought reward for a well-organised first half performance that limited Palace’s opportunities in hot and humid conditions.
Pardew, the Palace manager, had opted to push Wilfried Zaha into a more central role alongside Glenn Murray, with Yannick Bolasie missing because of a family bereavement. The pair initially linked well, particularly when Zaha released Murray inside the Villa box before collecting his team-mate’s return. The exchange would have been rewarded with a goal, but for the late intervention of Ashley Westwood, the Villa midfielder.
That was a rare threat from the home side during an increasingly turgid first half and the manager replaced both forwards at half-time, introducing Jordon Mutch and Dwight Gayle. Pardew’s efforts to liven up his forward line almost brought immediate reward when Mutch’s low cross picked out Sako, whose shot was well saved by the Villa goalkeeper, Brad Guzan.
Palace were more enterprising at the start of second period and thought they had taken the lead in the 59th minute, when James McArthur deflected Gayle’s shot from the edge of the area past Guzan. The goal was initially given and the playing of the Selhurst Park goal music said as much. But after a lengthy consultation between Keith Stroud, the referee, and his assistant, Peter Kirkup, the goal was - correctly, replays suggested - disallowed for offside.
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Just over ten minutes later, Palace did eventually take the lead their second half play had warranted, when Dann headed Jason Puncheon’s corner into the top corner from 12 yards out.
Traoré showed why his arrival has generated so much attention, with a scintillating run down the right which ended with a cross that Souaré poked past his own keeper, before Sako had the final say, with a crisp low finish to secure the points for Palace.