The Blues wrapped up an unbeaten November with a solid 2-0 victory in Germany, courtesy of second-half goals from Christopher Nkunku and Mykhaylo Mudryk. That win secured their spot in the next phase of UEFA's third-tier competition.
In the league, Chelsea are aiming for back-to-back wins after the international break, having beaten Leicester City 1-0 last weekend. Nicolas Jackson, who scored the decisive goal against the Foxes, now shares the team's top scorer title with Cole Palmer, both on seven Premier League goals.
Despite these individual highlights, Chelsea’s home form has been disappointing—they’ve earned just nine of their 22 points at Stamford Bridge this season, the lowest home points ratio in the league.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, are struggling to find form. After their Champions League win over Bologna in October, they’ve gone seven matches without a win across all competitions. That frustration was evident in Tuesday’s draw against Juventus, where Villa fans expressed their discontent after Morgan Rogers’ last-minute goal was disallowed for a foul in the buildup.
In the Premier League, Villa managed just one point in November, suffering heavy defeats to Tottenham and Liverpool before a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace last weekend. Against the Eagles, Villa showed resilience, with Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley both finding the net to rescue a point.
Despite their struggles, Villa have reason for optimism as they head to Stamford Bridge. Unai Emery’s side is unbeaten in their last three competitive visits there, with two wins and a draw.
They’ll be eager to extend that streak and break their current four-game winless run in the league. For Chelsea, improving their home form will be key as they look to close the nine-point gap to league leaders Liverpool.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Chelsea will welcome Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia back into the squad for Sunday’s match after both missed the Conference League trip to Heidenheim. Meanwhile, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, who were rested for the midweek game, are expected to partner in midfield this weekend.Reece James is sidelined again with a fresh hamstring injury and will be out for several weeks as he works his way back to full fitness. Malo Gusto has also been absent since the international break, while Pedro Neto is recovering from a knock he picked up while playing for Portugal.
For Aston Villa, Ezri Konsa, who started on the bench against Juventus, is likely to return to the starting lineup alongside Pau Torres. That would mean Diego Carlos might lose his spot in defense, with Matty Cash continuing to play at right-back.
Up front, Colombian forward Jhon Duran, known for his impact as a substitute, is making a strong case for a starting role, potentially displacing Villa’s top scorer Ollie Watkins.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Chelsea possible starting lineup:Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Bailey, McGinn, Rogers; Watkins
EXPERT PREDICTION
Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa
Chelsea took full advantage of their squad depth during Thursday's Conference League match, meaning their key players should be well-rested and ready to face an out-of-form Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
With Villa’s winless streak threatening to drag them further down the Premier League table, it looks like the visitors could come up short in West London, though it might be a close contest.
