Aston Villa vs Chelsea Preview and Prediction
Aston Villa vs Chelsea Match Preview
Premier League sides Aston Villa and Chelsea will lock horns once again as they meet in the FA Cup 4th Round replay. The previous game between the two ended in a goalless draw.
The hosts enter this game on the back of a mixed run of form. They have won four games out of their last 10 across competitions, drawing four and losing twice. The Villans are also having periodic struggles in front of goal against decent teams. Despite scoring seven in their last five, that run included goalless draws against Everton and Chelsea. Unai Emery will look to motivate his players well for this game as they look to win silverware together.
The visitors, on the other hand, are in a slightly better place in terms of form. They have won five of their last 10 games across competitions, with the other results being four defeats and one draw. Whilst their defensive record was decent earlier, the Blues have begun leaking goals in recent times. Having kept three clean sheets in five games, they have conceded four goals against Liverpool and then Wolves, losing both games. Mauricio Pochettino will look to get his team’s season back on track by getting them back to winning ways.
On that note, let’s take a look at the team news from both sides.
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa
Emery went with a rather strong XI in the goalless draw between these two teams a week ago. Since then, they have played two games where the Spaniard has rotated his backline and used players he has preferred for the Premier League games.
Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia are the two long-term absentees with both set to return from the cruciate ligament injuries later in the season. Lucas Digne and Pau Torres are still returning to full fitness and could be excluded from this game. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa suffered a knock in their 5-0 demolition of Sheffield United and could be doubtful.
Unai Emery will likely stick with the same XI he fielded in the previous leg, with Diego Carlos likely to get the nod in place of Konsa.
Predicted XI: Emiliano Martinez (GK), Matty Cash, Diego Carlos, Clement Lenglet, Alex Moreno, John McGinn (C), Douglas Luiz, Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans, Moussa Diaby, Ollie Watkins.
ALSO READ: Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey Nears Contract Renewal with Verbal Agreement.
Chelsea
Pochettino too, much like his counterpart, made changes to his back four for their previous meeting. The Blues then played two Premier League games, for which the XI was virtually unchanged.
The Blues remain without defensive trio Marc Cucurella, Reece James and Wesley Fofana, all out with long-term injuries. Meanwhile, Levi Colwill picked up a hamstring injury in recent weeks and could be out for a month at least. Custodian Robert Sanchez is also out for considerable amount of time.
The Argentine will stick with the lineup he fielded in the last meeting against the Villans, with Malo Gusto and Christopher Nkunku in with a shout to feature.
Predicted XI: Dorde Petrovic (GK), Alfie Gilchrist, Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Noni Madueke, Conor Gallagher (C), Raheem Sterling, Cole Palmer.
Aston Villa vs Chelsea Head-to-Head & Prediction
Last 5 Games H2H
- Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa (01/24)
- Chelsea 0-1 Aston Villa (09/23)
- Chelsea 0-2 Aston Villa (04/23)
- Aston Villa 1-0 Chelsea (12/22)
- Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea (10/22)
As you can see, games between the Blues and the Villans have been fairly tight encounters. However, Aston Villa lead the head-to-head record three games to one, with the other being a goalless draw.
It is interesting to note that whenever a team has won, the other has failed to score in that game. Those games have also seen less than three goals scored. Villa have won both home and away, whilst the Blues have only won at Villa Park in recent times.
This points towards another tight game. However, with Chelsea leaking goals it’s hard to look past Aston Villa and their organized back line. Additionally, Emery will have Watkins in top form following his two assists and one goal in the last game.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea.
Betting Tips
- Match Result: Aston Villa.
- Both Teams to Score: Yes.
- Anytime Goal Scorer: Ollie Watkins.
Odds
- Aston Villa Win: 2.30
- Draw: 3.75
- Chelsea Win: 3.25
Aston Villa vs Chelsea Timings & Telecast
- Date & Time: Wednesday, February 7th at 8 PM (GMT).
- India: SonyLIV app & website.
- UK: BBC & ITV.
- US: ESPN.
ALSO READ: Chelsea Eyes Xabi Alonso as Potential Replacement for Mauricio Pochettino Amidst Recent Struggles.