Aston Villa has been on a roll since their 4-1 defeat at Manchester City earlier in April. They’ve collected seven points from their last three league games, putting them on course for their first top-four finish since the 1995-96 season.
Last weekend, they secured their 20th win of the season, with goals from Morgan Rogers, Moussa Diaby, and Leon Bailey turning the game around against Bournemouth at Villa Park.
Villa's manager, Unai Emery, extended his contract until 2027 earlier this week. With four games left, he's aiming to guide Aston Villa to a Champions League spot. They currently sit fourth in the table and could move nine points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur if they win against Chelsea, though Spurs have three games in hand.
Before their Europa Conference League semi-final against Olympiacos next week, Aston Villa has their sights set on completing their first league double over Chelsea since the 1989-90 season, after winning the reverse fixture 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in September.
The Lions have been strong at home, winning four of their last five matches at Villa Park, but their last meeting with Chelsea there ended in a 3-1 loss in an FA Cup replay.
Chelsea, on the other hand, is looking to recover from a rough patch after a strong eight-game unbeaten run that included a 6-0 thrashing of Everton. Since then, they've suffered a 1-0 loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals and a 5-0 hammering by Arsenal in the Premier League. The Arsenal game saw Kai Havertz scoring twice, with Ben White also bagging a double, leaving Chelsea with their 11th league defeat of the season.
Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea's manager, is under pressure to secure European football next season, with the team sitting ninth in the league and six points behind sixth-placed Manchester United. Chelsea has at least one game in hand on the three teams above them, which might help in their push for a higher finish. Chelsea also has a good record at Villa Park, winning seven of their last nine league games there, scoring 20 goals in those matches.
However, Chelsea has struggled outside London recently, winning just two of their last eight away games in the Premier League, and they’ve lost their last two league matches against Aston Villa.
The Blues haven't lost more than two consecutive games against the Lions since a four-game losing streak between 1978 and 1984. With Chelsea's mixed form and Aston Villa's strong home performances, this match could go either way.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Aston Villa has several key players unavailable due to injuries. Boubacar Kamara, Emiliano Buendia, Tyrone Mings (all with knee issues), Jacob Ramsey (foot), and Alex Moreno (calf) are out, while Nicolo Zaniolo, who picked up a knock, will be assessed before the game.On the bright side, Douglas Luiz is back from suspension and is likely to go straight into the starting lineup. He could partner with John McGinn and Youri Tielemans in midfield, which might mean that either Morgan Rogers, Moussa Diaby, or Leon Bailey will have to sit out.
Up front, Ollie Watkins, who has scored 19 Premier League goals and netted the winner at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, is expected to lead the attack. In defence, Unai Emery will decide whether to bring back either Diego Carlos or Clement Lenglet—both played against Chelsea in the FA Cup earlier in the year.
Chelsea, on the other hand, has their own injury woes. They recently announced that Enzo Fernandez had groin surgery and will miss the rest of the season. This adds to a lengthy list of injured players, including Malo Gusto, Ben Chilwell, and Wesley Fofana (all with knee injuries), Romeo Lavia (thigh), Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, and Lesley Ugochukwu (all with hamstring issues).
Levi Colwill might not play due to a toe injury, but Cole Palmer and Robert Sanchez should be back in the squad after missing the Arsenal game due to illness. Palmer, Chelsea's top scorer with 25 goals in all competitions this season, has trained this week and could start either as a number 10 or on the right flank.
With Fernandez out, Carney Chukwuemeka might get a chance to start in midfield alongside Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Alfie Gilchrist could keep his spot at right-back after starting his first Premier League game on Tuesday. Chelsea's injury problems are significant, but the return of a few key players could help them put up a fight against Aston Villa.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Bailey, Luiz, Tielemans, McGinn; Rogers; Watkins
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Disasi, Chalobah, Silva, Cucurella; Caicedo, Gallagher; Madueke, Palmer, Sterling; Jackson
EXPERT PREDICTION
Aston Villa 2-2 Chelsea
Chelsea's recent matches have shown a clear problem with scoring, but getting their top scorer Cole Palmer back could really help them, especially against an Aston Villa team that has only kept two clean sheets in their last 11 league games.
Considering how these two teams have played against each other this season, it's likely to be a tight and exciting game. With both sides having their issues, it wouldn't be surprising if this one ends in a draw.
