Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard Photo: IC

This Saturday afternoon the English Premier League will throw up one of its more intriguing managerial duels when Aston Villa travel to Crystal Palace. 

Two of the best midfielders of their generation will line up in the dugouts with newly appointed Villa boss Steven Gerrard sitting across from Patrick Vieira in the home dugout. 

The pair came head to head on the pitch while Liverpool hero Gerrard was at his boyhood club and the Frenchman was playing for Arsenal and Manchester City, but this is the first time that they face off as coaches. 

For Gerrard this is only his second game in charge of the team after moving from Glasgow Rangers to replace Dean Smith at Villa Park.  

It started off with a 2-0 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion. 

"It's a mixture of excitement, relief, pride really. Because I can't be any more proud of the players. Some were only around for a couple days in the week, everything we asked them to do in the main they followed the structure and delivered a really good performance in the end," Gerrard said after seeing off the Seagulls with late goals from Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings. 

"These are the buzzes, the highs you miss as a player. That is the reason I wanted to stay in the game. It is my medicine if you like. I love winning, I love competing, I love seeing players happy, smiling, feeling good about themselves. We were a bit tense at times today, it wasn't all perfect, it was understandable that the players and crowd were a bit nervous. 

"I think you're trying to control your emotions. You're kicking every ball. I want to be there on the side for my players. I want to coach from the side. I want them to see me. I want to be visible. I want to help them, guide them, so they carry a game plan out. Inside me is what was inside me as a player. That will to win. That drive and the energy. 

"You should see me in staff games, five- or six-a-side, I want to win, I tell you. I hate losing. 

 "I'll always be as authentic as I can," Gerrard added. "If anyone doubted what it means to be being in that ­position, just watch me after them goals. That's real, the feeling, that's how it is." 

While Villa were winning 2-0 Palace took on Burnley in a 3-3 thriller at Turf Moor, where Vieira looked on the positives. 

"It was a crazy good game," Vieira said after the match. "Both teams maybe brought a different philosophy to the game but both tried to win it. I think for the neutral it was a good game to watch." 

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira Photo: VCG

Palace fans will be happy with the progress made under the manager they appointed in the summer, though they were indebted to a save from keeper Vicente Guaita to leave with a share of the spoils. 

"At the end there is a good feeling because of the save, that was the biggest chance they created in the second half and it was an important save from Vince to allow us to go back to London with a point. 

"I was a little bit disappointed with how we managed the game but that's just showing the team needs to grow. There is a maturity we didn't have today to really manage the game better." 

Palace have grown under Vieira and sit 10th in the English Premier League table, unbeaten in five games, and there are hopes of a bright future under the former midfielder.  

Like Gerrard, many see Vieira as a possible manager of the club that he was most associated with when he played in England, with Vieira as a ­potential Arsenal manager and Gerrard in charge at some point at Liverpool.  

Gerrard has said that he is not using Villa as a "stepping stone" but pundits are viewing it as a make-or-break step on his career - succeed at Villa Park and the possibility of a move to Anfield increases, fail and it diminishes.  

"You'll never hear me saying it's a stepping stone. For me, I'm really honored and proud to be in this position," he said. 

"As I say, I'm all in. I'll give this job everything that it needs for it to be a success. I'll be 100 percent committed and more so, and my staff." 

Gerrard added that he would be delighted if Klopp signed a "lifetime deal." 

Both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard are recent examples showing that the return of a club legend in the dugout is no guarantee of success but there is something that appeals to the romantics among football fans and members of the media when it comes together. 

While Gerrard's path to Liverpool is blocked by Jurgen Klopp, a manager who has guided the Reds to the UEFA Champions League and the English Premier League, Vieira's homecoming to the Emirates is blocked by another former Arsenalm player, Mikel Arteta. 

The Spaniard is now the only other former English Premier League player currently in permanent charge of an English Premier League club following the departures of Steve Bruce from Newcastle United and Solskjaer from Manchester United so far this season. 

Gerrard, appointed earlier this month, became the 48th former English Premier League player to have then managed a club in the top flight. It would be fair to say that their success has been a mixed bag.  

The only former English Premier League footballer to win the title as a manager was Roberto Mancini at Manchester City. The Italian oversaw the club's first title win with the final-day drama of the 2011-12 season, some 11 years after he had played in the same division for Leicester City. 

Success is relative, and no one is expecting Gerrard or Vieira to win the English Premier League title with the clubs they are currently in charge of, but that would change with a return home.  

In the meantime, Saturday will offer a chance to see their developing coaching careers.