Jean-Philippe Mateta stroked home a 20th-minute penalty to give Crystal Palace an early lead against Aston Villa at Villa Park.
The goal moves Mateta up to 49 goals in a Palace shirt as the Frenchman goes in search of the half-century for the London club.
The hosts dominated possession in the game’s initial stages but it was last season’s FA Cup winners who broke the deadlock when Daichi Kamada was brought down by Villa keeper Marco Bizot.
Referee Stuart Attwell awarded the spot-kick, which Mateta duly dispatched to give Oliver Glasner’s team the advantage.
Both sides are still looking for their first Premier League victory of the new campaign amid speculation that key players may still depart before the transfer window closes next week.
Villa stopper and World Cup winner Emi Martinez looks set to leave the club, while Palace captain Marc Guehi could join champions Liverpool before Monday’s deadline.
Both Glasner and Unai Emery will have European football to contend with this season. Palace will feature in the Conference League after losing an appeal to Uefa, with Emery’s men gearing up for the Europa League – a competition the Spanish coach has won a record four times.
