A place in the FA Cup fifth round will be on the line when Aston Villa and Chelsea face off at Villa Park on Wednesday.
The FA Cup has resumed this midweek for the fourth-round replays. Five fixtures will greet us, with Wednesday bringing us two games, one of those being Aston Villa vs Chelsea at Villa Park, with a spot in the fifth round on the line.
Aston Villa reached the FA Cup fourth round after beating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the third round. But they have blown hot and cold in the last few weeks, winning only one of their last four games across all competitions. However, Unai Emery’s men bounced back this past weekend by cruising to a 5-0 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
On the other hand, Chelsea progressed to the FA Cup fourth round after getting past Preston North End in the previous stage. But they have been dreadful in their last few outings, winning only one of their last four matches. And the pressure on Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly grown after the 4-2 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge this past weekend.
The original FA Cup fourth-round fixture ended in a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Unai Emery has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Chelsea on Wednesday, the Aston Villa manager will be bereft of the services of seven first-team players.
Morgan Rogers is the latest absentee, as he is cup-tied due to his participation in this season’s FA Cup with Middlesbrough. But Douglas Luiz should return after recovering from illness. Meanwhile, Tyrone Mings (knee), Pau Torres (ankle), Lucas Digne (hamstring), Nicolo Zaniolo (knock), Emiliano Buendia (knee), and Jhon Duran (unspecified) remain on the sidelines.
Emiliano Martinez will take his spot between the sticks, with Aston Villa lining up in a 4-4-2 formation in front of him against Chelsea. The backline should produce no surprises, with Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Clement Lenglet, and Alex Moreno completing the defensive quartet.
As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz should hold the fort in the middle of the park. The duo will also initiate quick transitions, enabling John McGinn and Leon Bailey to run riot. Finally, Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby should be the two attackers for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Lenglet, Moreno; Bailey, Kamara, Luiz, McGinn; Diaby, Watkins
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the Aston Villa dugout, Mauricio Pochettino does not have any new issues hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to Villa Park. The Chelsea manager will be without seven first-team players on Wednesday.
Levi Colwill might return from a knock, although he faces a race against time to be available on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Robert Sanchez (knee), Reece James (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Marc Cucurella (ankle), Trevoh Chalobah (hamstring), Romeo Lavia (thigh), and Lesley Ugochukwu (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.
Colwill might miss out on Wednesday, with Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile forming the central defensive unit. Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell will likely feature as the two full-backs, with Djordje Petrovic deputising for Sanchez in the goal.
As for the midfield unit, Carney Chukwuemeka should start ahead of Moises Caicedo, with Enzo Fernandez being his central midfield partner. Nicolas Jackson should spearhead the Chelsea attack against Aston Villa, with Mykhailo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku, and Cole Palmer joining him in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Badiashile, Chilwell; Chukwuemeka, Fernandez; Palmer, Nkunku, Mudryk; Jackson
Key Stats
- Chelsea suffered elimination in their first four FA Cup ties against Aston Villa but have since progressed from the most recent three meetings, with two of those coming at Wembley (1-0 in the 1999/00 final, 3-0 in the 2009/10 semi-final).
- Chelsea lost 4-0 against Manchester City in their last FA Cup away game (last season’s third round). They have not lost consecutive matches on the road in the competition since February 2004 (vs Arsenal) and February 2005 (vs Newcastle United).
- Aston Villa have lost their most recent five FA Cup home games. The last team within England’s top-four tiers to lose more consecutively on home soil were Rotherham United (7 between 2002 and 2008).
- Chelsea have progressed from eight of their last nine FA Cup replays, with Wednesday’s game their first since the 2017/18 third round against Norwich City. Their only elimination in this run was against Everton in 2010/11 (fourth round).
- Aston Villa have kept a clean sheet in their last three meetings with Chelsea in all competitions, more than they had in their previous 26 against them (2). They have never gone four in a row without conceding against the Blues.
Player to Watch
Cole Palmer
With Chelsea staring down the barrel yet again this season, they need some inspiration to get back to winning ways. And that can come from a no better player than Cole Palmer, who has outperformed more experienced players at the West London club this season to become his team’s talisman.
The English international was on the score sheet even when Chelsea lost this past weekend against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Another goalscoring display might help Chelsea get past Aston Villa and kick-start another cup run this term.
Prediction
Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea
A few records we discussed in the Key Stats section might overturn on Wednesday. Aston Villa might have struggled to rack up wins at home in FA Cup games, but they will face a Chelsea side desperately struggling to pick up wins this season.
On the other hand, the Blues have only suffered back-to-back away wins in the FA Cup twice. That will become three on Wednesday, even though the visitors will give the hosts a run for their money. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Aston Villa, with Cole Palmer netting the consolation goal for Chelsea.
