Chelsea will look to stretch the recent unbeaten run when they welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The dreaded international break is over, with club football going on an uninterrupted run until the season ends. Meanwhile, the 2022/23 Premier League season will resume with Gameweek 29, with Manchester City and Liverpool kicking things off on Saturday. And the action on the day will finish at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea and Aston Villa will lock horns.
Chelsea will head into this weekend’s fixture on the back of a four-match unbeaten streak. The Blues are on one of their best runs under Graham Potter and will aim to keep their faint top-four hopes alive. But Everton sapped some of Chelsea’s momentum ahead of the international break, holding them to a 2-2 draw.
On the other hand, Aston Villa will also enter Gameweek 29 on the back of a four-game unbeaten run. The Villans have been resurgent under Unai Emery’s stewardship, winning half of their matches. And the Midlands outfit went into the international break on the back of a 3-0 win over Bournemouth.
The reverse fixture saw Chelsea clinch a hard-fought 2-0 win over Aston Villa, with Mason Mount scoring a match-winning brace. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
Watch Graham Potter look ahead to our game with Aston Villa LIVE! https://t.co/NDeBOYgmdb
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 31, 2023
Graham Potter has new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Aston Villa on Saturday, the Chelsea manager might be bereft of the services of as many as ten first-team players.
Thiago Silva and Armando Broja will remain on the sidelines due to their respective knee injuries. But every other player might be in contention to feature against Aston Villa and will face late fitness tests to determine their availability.
These players are Edouard Mendy (finger), Reece James (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (hamstring), Cesar Azpilicueta (concussion), Mason Mount (abdomen), Raheem Sterling (thigh), Kai Havertz (illness), and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (back). And most of these players should be available to take on Aston Villa this weekend.
Kepa Arrizabalaga should keep his spot between the sticks despite Mendy’s potential availability. And Chelsea will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation against Aston Villa on Saturday. The central defensive unit should feature Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Benoit Badiashile.
Meanwhile, James is touch-and-go for the weekend but should be fit enough to start as the right wing-back. And Ben Chilwell picks himself on the left flank, considering he is one of Chelsea’s most in-form players. The wide duo will flank Enzo Fernandez and Mateo Kovacic in the middle of the park.
Fernandez and Kovacic’s midfield pairing has been the catalyst for Chelsea’s improved displays. And the duo will provide solidity in the middle of the park to enable the creative players to express themselves. Finally, the offensive unit will likely feature Mykhailo Mudryk, Joao Felix, and Kai Havertz.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kepa; Badiashile, Koulibaly, Cucurella; James, Enzo Fernandez, Kovacic, Chilwell; Felix, Havertz, Mudryk
Aston Villa
Unlike his counterpart in the Chelsea dugout, Unai Emery has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The Aston Villa manager will be without three first-team players on Saturday.
The good news is that Leander Dendoncker (hand) and Boubacar Kamara (foot) should be in the squad this weekend after resuming training. But Jed Steer (Achilles), Matty Cash (calf), and Philippe Coutinho (thigh) remain on the sidelines.
Emery on John McGinn: “I like him, because he has great spirit every day, as a professional, his commitment is incredible and he sets an example for the players.”
“From the first meeting, I was very happy with him and his performance has been at a high level.”#CHEAVL pic.twitter.com/jfFNvSm17O
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) March 30, 2023
Emiliano Martinez picks himself between the sticks, with Aston Villa lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. Ashley Young should replace Matty Cash in the right-back slot, with the others being automatic selections. So Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings should form the central defensive unit, with Alex Moreno starting on the left flank.
As for the midfield unit, John McGinn will be in high spirits after Scotland’s historic win over Spain this week. The Aston Villa skipper will line up alongside Douglas Luiz in the middle of the park. And the duo will look to keep things in the middle of the park, with McGinn also aiming to push Villa forward rapidly during transitions.
Leon Bailey and Emiliano Buendia have improved considerably of late. And the duo will be the creative force for Aston Villa against Chelsea. Meanwhile, Jacob Ramsey’s directness can catch the hosts off-guard when the Villans counter. Finally, the in-form Ollie Watkins will spearhead the attack this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; McGinn, Luiz; Bailey, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins
Key Stats
- Chelsea have won nine of their last 11 Premier League games against Aston Villa (D1 L1). The only defeat in that period came at Villa Park on the final day of the 2020/21 season. The Villans have won just one of their last 17 away Premier League games against Chelsea (D1 L12). They have lost six in their last seven games since a 3-1 win in December 2011.
- Chelsea have won two of their most recent three Premier League games (D1), the same number of victories as in the previous 15 matches combined (D6 L7). The Blues have scored as many goals in their last three league outings (6) as in the previous 12 combined.
- Aston Villa have been unbeaten in their last four Premier League games (W3 D1) and have not conceded a single goal in their three wins. They last went five consecutive Premier League matches without defeat in December 2020. The last game of this series was a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
- Since Aston Villa’s first Premier League away win in Unai Emery’s tenure (2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion in November), only Manchester City (16) and Arsenal (15) have picked up more points on the road than Villans (13 – W4 D1 L1).
- Premier League games involving Chelsea have produced the fewest goals this season (57, 29 for, 28 against). Of all the stadiums, Stamford Bridge recorded the fewest goals (26 in total).
Player to Watch
Mateo Kovacic
Chelsea had been staring down the barrel shortly after the January transfer window ended. But the return of Mateo Kovacic has helped the Blues bounce back and regain the footing they had lost in the previous weeks.
The Croat adds the combativeness that no other Chelsea player brings to the table. And he is seemingly the perfect foil for January signing Enzo Fernandez, who has gone from strength to strength with the 28-year-old by his side. Kovacic now needs to embark on a run of solid form to guide Chelsea to continue the recent resurgence.
Prediction
Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa
The two sides match up evenly coming into the fixture. And there might not be much to separate Chelsea and Aston Villa on Saturday. Players off the bench can potentially make the difference, and Raheem Sterling will be among those coming into the equation.
But Aston Villa’s sturdy defensive unit should keep a profligate Chelsea attack at bay. And the two sides might have to suffice with a point each when the game ends. The Hard Tackle predicts Graham Potter’s men to play out a 1-1 draw with Unai Emery’s charges.
