Ross Barkley’s late headed equaliser helped Aston Villa earn a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Villa Park, although their winless run now stands at four matches in the league.

Unai Emery’s side could not shake their poor form as they were forced to come from behind twice at home to an injury-hit Palace team.

Ismaila Sarr got the visitors off to a flying start with his first-ever league goal for the club on four minutes as he slotted home on the break, though Ollie Watkins brought the hosts level in the 36th minute.

Villa could have gone ahead as Youri Tielemans saw a penalty saved just before half-time, but it was Palace who took advantage through Justin Devenny. The 21-year-old put visitors back in front in first-half stoppage time.

The hosts left it late to snatch an equaliser as Barkley headed home from Tieleman's corner off the left with 13 minutes to go.

Aston Villa go seventh in the table, while Crystal Palace drop below Wolves and into the relegation zone in 18th.

Data Debrief: Sarr and Watkins lead from the front

Watkins has been directly involved in 50 goals in 80 Premier League appearances at Villa Park (35 goals, 15 assists), now the outright most of any Villa player in the competition (Gabriel Agbonlahor, 49).

At the other end, Sarr scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the second time in his career, previously doing so versus Liverpool in February 2020.

Both players led their respective sides for expected goals (xG), with Sarr accruing a total of 0.69 from the right wing, while Watkins totalled more than penalty-taker Tielemans with 1.29 xG. 

Manchester United were held to a frustrating goalless draw away at Crystal Palace as Erik ten Hag's visitors failed to make their dominance count in Saturday's Premier League clash.

Ten Hag's side were hammered 4-0 in this exact top-flight fixture last season and, though improving for this clash, the United manager will have left Selhurst Park disappointed at the result once more.

Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes were both denied by the woodwork in the first half, the latter on the rebound from the Argentina winger's initial attempt, as United squandered numerous opportunities.

Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson frustrated his former side throughout, parrying away twice more from Garnacho and thwarting centre-back pairing Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez from set-piece openings.

However, Oliver Glasner's hosts could have snatched victory as Andre Onana produced a superb follow-up stop to deny Ismaila Sarr from point-blank range before Eberechi Eze steered wide in the closing stages.

Palace remain winless in the league and sit 16th, two points clear of the relegation zone, while United are 11th after a stop-start opening to the 2024-25 term.

Data Debrief: Goal-shy United miss chance

United will leave Selhurst Park knowing they should have triumphed here, accumulating 1.64 expected goals (xG) to Palace's 1.07, though the hosts' tally was boosted by a flurry of late chances.

It was in the opening period where Ten Hag's men dominated, registering 1.4 xG in the first half of this game, a stark contrast to their 0.24 xG after the interval.

Those attacking struggles may be apportioned to the brilliance of Henderson, whose seven saves were the most in a Premier League game for Palace without conceding since Vicente Guaita against Newcastle United in January 2023.

Visiting captain Fernandes will also have a sense of frustration with this outcome, attempting more shots without scoring (17) than any other player across Europe's big five leagues this season.

Jean-Philippe Mateta's brace, including a stoppage-time penalty, denied Leicester City their first win since returning to the Premier League as Crystal Palace came from behind to draw 2-2.

Jamie Vardy gave the Foxes a first-half lead with a neat finish and just seconds after the restart, Stephy Mavididi capitalised on some poor defending to double the away side's advantage.

Mateta dragged Palace back into the match with his first goal moments later, but Leicester looked set to hang on despite being put under heavy pressure in the second half.

However, Conor Coady fouled Ismaila Sarr in the box and Mateta coolly dispatched his penalty kick to deny Steve Cooper a first league victory as Leicester manager.

Both sides are still searching for their first win after the four opening matches, with Leicester 15th and Palace 16th in the table.

Data Debrief: Foxes continue wretched run in London

After being denied victory in injury time, Leicester have now won just two of their 17 Premier League games in London (D4 L11), conceding 42 goals during that run.

Wilfried Ndidi performed well for Leicester in a more advanced role, and registered two assists. He is now up to three for the season, more than any of his team-mates.

Ismaila Sarr has completed a return to the Premier League with Crystal Palace, the club confirmed on Thursday.

Sarr, who played two seasons in English football's top flight with Watford, has signed a five-year contract at Selhurst Park for a reported £12.5million fee. 

The 26-year-old is seen as a replacement for Michael Olise, who joined Bayern Munich for £50million earlier in the transfer window. 

In his 35 appearances for Marseille, the Ivory Coast international scored five goals, three of which came in Ligue 1. 

During his time with Watford in the Premier League, Sarr made 50 appearances, scoring 10 goals and adding six assists, with his most prolific seasons for the Hornets coming in the Championship, where he notched 39 goal contributions in 78 outings. 

“I am very happy to be here because Crystal Palace is a great club," Sarr said.

"Thanks to the coach and the Sporting Director – they told me about their project, and I accepted because it is a good project.

"I am going to work hard on the pitch and off the pitch for the team and for the fans as well."

Sarr becomes Palace's third signing of the transfer window following the arrivals of midfielder Daichi Kamada and defender Chadi Riad.

Head coach Oliver Glasner added: "We're happy that Ismaïla has decided to join Crystal Palace because he knows the Premier League when he played at Watford, he knows living in England, and he also had many games with Marseille last season.

"In every year, in every club where he was, he's showed that he can score goals. He showed it as well in the national team for Senegal, so we are really pleased that he will join our group."

Franck Kessie stepped up from the penalty spot to send defending champions Senegal tumbling out of the Africa Cup of Nations and spark wild celebrations in Yamoussoukro.

Kessie had given hosts Ivory Coast hope when he coolly dispatched an 86th-minute spot-kick past Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to send the tie into extra-time.

And the 27-year-old delivered once again with the crucial kick to seal a 5-4 win in the shoot-out after Moussa Niakhate had missed his earlier effort for the favourites.

The Ivory Coast’s win continued a remarkable revival for the hosts who had looked down and out in the group stage after a 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Equatorial Guinea.

Senegal had looked set to end the curse that had seen no defending champions reach the last eight since 2010 when Habib Diallo rifled home with just four minutes on the clock.

The hosts responded well as they pinned Senegal back in their own half, but the holders’ defence held firm and Ivory Coast were restricted to a succession of half-chances.

Seko Fofana’s run into a dangerous area was superbly snuffed out by Niakhate and Senegal almost extended their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Ismaila Sarr stumbled over a shooting chance.

Sarr came close again early in the second half but Ivory Coast continued to press through Oumar Diakite, who almost served up a leveller for Jean Philippe Krasso just before the hour mark.

The holders missed an even better opportunity in the 74th minute when Kessie’s free-kick was parried by Mendy, who somehow got in the way of the same player’s follow-up from a tight angle.

Substitute Nicolas Pepe missed another huge chance when he lashed a curling effort straight at Mendy, but earned his side their crucial penalty four minutes from time when he was tripped by Mendy in the box.

Kessie kept his cool to force the additional half-hour and after neither side could break the deadlock, it came down to the shoot-out where the hosts scored all five to seal a famous triumph.

Marseille striker Ismaila Sarr starred as defending Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal eased their way into the last 16 with a 3-1 win over Cameroon.

Sarr’s deflected strike gave his side a 16th-minute lead and it was he who set up fellow frontman Habib Diallo after the break before Sadio Mane cemented victory at Stade Charles Konan Banny in stoppage time to guarantee his side’s progression from Group C.

Cameroon responded belatedly when Jean-Charles Castelletto powered home a header from Olivier Ntcham’s 83rd-minute cross and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou has guilty of a glaring miss before Mane scored, but Rigobert Song’s men will head into Tuesday’s final group fixture against Gambia with just a single point to their name.

Senegal went ahead after the Cameroon defence failed to deal with Pape Sarr’s 16th-minute corner.

The ball was fed back in to Sarr after goalkeeper Andre Onana had punched it to the edge of the box and he drilled in a low right-footed shot which took a slight deflection off Frank Anguissa and flew into the net.

The Indomitable Lions did not muster a single attempt on goal in the opening 45 minutes and might have fallen further behind six minutes before the break but for Enzo Tchato’s block after Lamine Camara had put Mane in on goal.

Aliou Cisse’s men continued to make the running after the restart, but Olivier Kemen got a sight of goal at the other end, only to loop his 55th-minute header from a deep free-kick high over.

Cameroon’s fortunes took a further turn for the worse with 19 minutes remaining when Sarr turned provider with a low cross for Habib Diallo to make it 2-0 from close range.

Castelletto gave Song’s side hope with seven minutes remaining and they should have been level when Nkoudou headed inexplicably wide in injury time before Mane wrapped up the points.