Jeffrey Schlupp makes instant impact to earn Crystal Palace point at Aston Villa

A Sunday afternoon time vacuum engulfed Villa Park, two managers with an eye on both present and future leaving with a point and plenty to think about. Ollie Watkins’ second-half opener was cancelled out by substitute Jeffrey Schlupp: a result just about fair.

Upward or downward mobility for both Aston Villa and Crystal Palace from here is minimal, and so these final throes of the season are a chance for Patrick Vieira and Steven Gerrard to split their gaze.

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Gerrard will be enjoying the flourishing partnership between Watkins and Danny Ings. In an age where two up top is unfashionable, Villa are going retro with some success. Watkins now has six in his past dozen league outings, while the pair’s wavelengths are increasingly in tune. That Villa failed to complete a seventh home league victory will irk Gerrard, however.

Vieira will reflect on an excellent day for Eberechi Eze, who enjoyed himself operating alongside Conor Gallagher as one of two No 8s. It was his best outing since returning from the achilles injury cruelly suffered on the day he was named in England’s preliminary European Championship squad.

Before kick-off, Villa had each home supporter waving a commemorative flag marking 40 years since the club’s European Cup triumph over Bayern Munich. The current players formed a pre-match guard of honour for the heroes of Rotterdam 1982.

There was a little history for Palace, too: 500 Premier League games and counting. Not bad given their existence has been threatened several times.

The cold reality though is that Vieira and Gerrard have very little interest in backward glances. Away games requiring passports is the latter’s long-term aim. That is why Philippe Coutinho’s loan move was made permanent, a four-year contract signed and a significant wage cut taken. Yet there was no samba beat here for the Brazil international. It is now nine without a league goal or assist for Coutinho.

Vieira had taken the opportunity to experiment, a quartet of changes including Cheikhou Kouyaté added as a third central defender. And that brought some initial clunkiness which Ings will feel he should have exploited.

First, Ings nipped in behind Joachim Andersen but steered Douglas Luiz’s cross wide. Then Andersen did well to intercept John McGinn’s attempt to find Watkins but the clearance fell kindly to Ings. His first-time volley troubled only the second tier.

However Palace quickly grew in both stature and control. Eze dragged wide after being presented an opportunity by a rare Matty Cash error, before showing his vision to feed Wilfried Zaha. He turned, drove and the defence retracted. Emiliano Martínez’s palms were stung.

The combination of south London’s king and heir apparent was a glimpse forward to make the Holmesdale Fanatics purr. If Vieira can also convince Gallagher his World Cup chances will be enhanced by remaining at Selhurst Park, the future could be very bright.

Against the run of play Ings should have raised the home volume. Instead, he curled wide from after Watkins’ strong holdup play. While Ings failed to work the goalkeeper, Nathaniel Clyne had no such trouble, Martínez having to be alert to tip a low strike around the post.

Any half-time fizz was flattened when Ezri Konsa went down and was forced off early in the second half having collided with Jean-Philippe Mateta. There was no writhing around in agony. In fact, Konsa barely moved. Fingers crossed.

Frustration grew audible, the diagonal ball in behind now being dealt with by Palace’s back three. Gerrard bashed his hands together furiously. Zaha played pantomime villain, home fans goading him, only for the forward to smile and gesticulate for them to raise the volume.

The Holte End pined for Emi Buendía but Jacob Ramsey, returning from injury, is who they got. And then they got something to cheer: Lucas Digne’s deep cross was poked home by Watkins. He did well to hold off the attention of Marc Guéhi, the pair engaged in some wrestling. Vieira was booked for his protests.

Villa’s lead lasted just a dozen minutes. Andersen hooked a loose ball across goal, Guéhi flicked on and Schlupp ensured his impact was virtually instant, poking the ball into the net minutes after his arrival for Eze.

Jack Butland’s injury-time double save from Digne and McGinn appeared to ensure parity. Watkins then wasted an opportunity when sent through. Fair is, just about, fair.