Aston Villa vs Chelsea Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Chelsea will look to continue the unbeaten start under Graham Potter when they take on Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday.

Gameweek 11 of the 2022/23 Premier League season will end on Sunday, with five matches on show throughout the day. The action on the day will begin at Villa Park, where Aston Villa will play hosts to a resurgent Chelsea. Both teams know victory will be of utmost importance this weekend.

Aston Villa might have hoped to have enjoyed a solid 2022/23 campaign after investing heavily in the squad in the summer transfer window. But the Villans have managed to win only two of their nine Premier League games thus far. However, Steven Gerrard has managed to find some stability, overseeing a four-game unbeaten run, with the latest result a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

On the other hand, Chelsea might be finding some stable footing after Thomas Tuchel’s hasty exit last month. The German tactician’s axing was shocking, but Graham Potter has done well to oversee a resurgent run. And the Blues are currently on a five-game unbeaten run, including wins in their last four outings. The latest success came in a 2-0 victory against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League.

The corresponding fixture last season saw Chelsea come from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 3-1. Reece James sent Villa ahead by scoring an own goal before Jorginho (brace) and Romelu Lukaku got Chelsea the three points. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Aston Villa

Steven Gerrard has greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of the visit of Chelsea. On Sunday, the Aston Villa manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players due to various fitness issues.

The positive news is Leon Bailey is fit and available after recovering from a muscle injury. In addition, Matty Cash and Cameron Archer are at Gerrard’s disposal after overcoming minor niggles. But Lucas Digne (ankle), Ludwig Augustinsson (hamstring) and Boubacar Kamara (knee) remain on the sidelines. And Diego Carlos is a long-term absentee due to an Achilles injury.

Bailey should be in the matchday squad but will unlikely be fit to start against Chelsea. Emiliano Buendia should thus continue on the right flank, with Philippe Coutinho taking up the left wing. Ollie Watkins will likely spearhead the Aston Villa attack against Chelsea, with Danny Ings being an option off the bench.

As for the midfield unit, Douglas Luiz will celebrate signing a new contract with Aston Villa with a start against Chelsea. John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey should provide defensive support to Luiz, with the duo also having the onus on them to provide forward thrust from the middle of the park.

Ezri Konsa is in line to make his 100th Premier League appearance and will pair up with Tyrone Mings at the heart of the Aston Villa defence. Ashley Young should continue as the left-back in the absence of Digne and Augustinsson. Matty Cash picks himself as the right-back, and Emiliano Martinez will take his spot between the sticks.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young; McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey; Buendia, Watkins, Coutinho

Chelsea

Unlike his counterpart in the Aston Villa dugout, Graham Potter has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to Villa Park. The Chelsea manager will be without three first-team players on Sunday.

Reece James is the latest absentee, with the English international sustaining a knee injury against AC Milan. James will consult a specialist to learn more about his issue amid fears he might miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Another player who might be unavailable for the grand event in Qatar is N’Golo Kante.

According to L’Equipe, Kante will not recover sufficiently from his hamstring injury and will miss the World Cup. Wesley Fofana is Chelsea’s third absentee due to a knee complaint. But there is some good news, with Hakim Ziyech fit and available after missing the midweek fixture due to a sore throat.

But Ziyech will unlikely feature from the get-go, with Christian Pulisic and Raheem Sterling ahead of him in the pecking order. Potter might rest Sterling on Sunday, allowing Pulisic to start again. The American attacker will hope to make his mark again after an impressive outing against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will lead the line for Chelsea against Aston Villa, with Mason Mount completing the offensive unit. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was impressive against Wolverhampton Wanderers and should replace Jorginho in the starting eleven. Mateo Kovacic will be the English international’s midfield partner.

Cesar Azpilicueta should be an automatic pick in James’s absence, with Marc Cucurella likely starting on the left flank. Trevoh Chalobah, Thiago Silva, and Kalidou Koulibaly should form the central defensive partnership. And finally, Kepa Arrizabalaga will likely start ahead of Edouard Mendy again in the Chelsea goal.

Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Koulibaly; Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Cucurella; Mount, Aubameyang, Pulisic

Key Stats

• Aston Villa’s solitary victory in the last 10 Premier League meetings with Chelsea came at Villa Park on the final day of the 2020/21 season (D1 L8). The Blues have won six of their last eight away Premier League games against Aston Villa, as many as they had in their first 19 visits.
• Aston Villa are on a four-match unbeaten run but have won only four times in 20 Premier League fixtures, losing ten (D6). But the Villans can earn successive Premier League home victories in the same season for the first time since January 2021.
• Chelsea have won three Premier League games in a row and are looking to earn consecutive clean sheets in the division for the first time since March.
• Aston Villa’s only win in the past 15 Premier League games against London opposition was 2-1 at Crystal Palace last November.
• Raheem Sterling is one short of 50 Premier League away goals. But he has not scored in any of his four Premier League appearances at Villa Park.

Player to Watch

Cesar Azpilicueta

Embed from Getty Images

Chelsea’s improving fluidity in the final third is something to keep an eye on this weekend. But it will also be interesting to see how the Blues cope in the absence of Reece James in the coming weeks. Cesar Azpilicueta was decent last weekend against Wolverhampton Wanderers but needs to perform consistently.

The Chelsea captain will now have the chance to show Graham Potter that he still has what it takes to feature regularly. Aston Villa will be a tricky opposition for Chelsea, and the Spaniard will face his first test ahead of a long run of starts in the coming month.

Prediction

Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea

Graham Potter is slowly but surely getting his ideas through to the Chelsea players. But an improving Aston Villa will provide a stiff test to Potter’s credentials as the Chelsea boss. However, while the Villans might give Chelsea a run for their money, their offensive output has been dire.

Only Wolverhampton Wanderers have netted fewer Premier League goals than the seven by Aston Villa this season. And their scoring woes might continue on Sunday, with Chelsea likely keeping a clean sheet. In addition, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic should deliver the goods for the Blues. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Potter’s charges.