Aston Villa vs Chelsea preview, team news and prediction

With both sides chasing Champions League football but desperate to chase that winning momentum, Aston Villa and Chelsea know a result against them will be far from ideal in the Premier League

Aston Villa host Chelsea at Villa Park on Wednesday evening as both teams continue their push for European qualification in the Premier League.

The Villans are looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last league outing, while Chelsea narrowly lost 2-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Villa’s struggles continued on Friday night, with their loss to Wolves marking just the second league win of the season for Rob Edwards’s side.

Having managed only one victory in their last five Premier League matches, Villa have slipped 13 points behind leaders Arsenal, effectively ending their title hopes. However, there is still plenty at stake, with Unai Emery’s men now battling for a top-five finish that could secure Champions League football next season. Their immediate goal is to return to winning ways and prevent any further slide down the table.

Securing three points against Chelsea would be an ideal way to get back on track, especially since the Blues are one of three teams within a tightly packed six-point range in the race for Champions League qualification. Villa will take confidence from their previous meeting this season, having won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in December thanks to an Ollie Watkins brace. Another victory would see Villa complete a league double over Chelsea for the first time in more than 30 years.

On the other side, Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior started his tenure with four straight Premier League wins, but his side have dropped valuable points in recent weeks. The Blues are winless in their last three league matches, drawing at home against Leeds United and Burnley before conceding twice from set pieces in their defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

All three of Rosenior’s defeats as Chelsea boss have come against the Gunners, so he’ll be glad to avoid facing Mikel Arteta’s side again until at least May. However, the challenges keep coming, with Chelsea still set to face Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the weeks ahead.

Currently sitting sixth in the table and six points behind Aston Villa, Chelsea need a win on Wednesday to keep pace with their rivals and strengthen their own bid for a Champions League spot.

Aston Villa vs Chelsea

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Aston Villa vs Chelsea

With Boubacar Kamara ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, Aston Villa continue to feel the absence of Youri Tielemans in midfield, and it appears that Wednesday’s match will come too soon for the Belgian international. Similarly, Harvey Elliott remains sidelined, having not featured in over a month, while Andres Garcia’s recent setback is expected to keep him out for another six weeks. There is still uncertainty over whether Villa captain John McGinn will be available, as he has been out for six weeks with a knee problem.

On the Chelsea side, Wesley Fofana returns from suspension, but they will be without Pedro Neto, who was sent off against Arsenal on Sunday and is therefore unavailable for the trip to Villa Park. Estevao Willian and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens are both still recovering from thigh injuries, though both are anticipated to return within the next two weeks. Dario Essugo is also close to making his comeback after an injury sustained in January, while Marc Cucurella faces a late fitness test to determine if he can feature on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, although Levi Colwill’s long-term rehabilitation is progressing, his absence has been keenly felt in Chelsea’s defence, and he is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

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