Aston Villa exited the Carabao Cup after a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace on October 30 at Villa Park. Eberechi Eze opened the scoring early, and although Jhon Duran equalized, Daichi Kamada’s late goal secured Palace’s place in the next round.
Villa fans had hoped for a deeper run, especially given the team’s strong season, yet Unai Emery’s selection choices hinted at his prioritization of other competitions.
Emery made ten changes from the side that drew against Bournemouth in the Premier League just days prior. Joe Gauci stepped in for usual starter Emi Martinez but had a challenging night, revealing potential concerns in Villa’s squad depth, especially in goal.
Gauci’s statistics were decent, with a 97% pass accuracy and three successful long balls, yet he struggled under pressure, letting in two goals despite Palace recording a low xG of 0.55. His performance was further marked by a negative goals-prevented rating of minus 1.29, underscoring a need for stronger defensive options.
Martinez, Villa’s first-choice keeper and recent two-time Yashin Trophy winner, is well-established as Emery’s trusted option in goal. Gauci, however, has only appeared in Carabao Cup fixtures this season, and his limited role suggests that Emery may need a more dependable backup as the team navigates the demands of both league and European competition.
While Gauci may have a chance to feature in the FA Cup, the loss to Palace raises questions about his future role and whether Villa might seek a stronger deputy to support their ambitions this season.