Aston Villa and Chelsea will be eager to return to winning ways when they face off in a Premier League clash at Villa Park on Saturday evening.
The 2024/25 Premier League season resumes this week with Gameweek 26. The action on Saturday starts with the game between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park before ending with Aston Villa vs Chelsea at Villa Park.
The 2024/25 season has been one to remember for Aston Villa, even though they have not been as consistent as last term in the Premier League. The Villans have won only ten of their 26 top-flight games thus far in the ongoing campaign, failing to win their last five matches to drop to ninth in the standings. However, Unai Emery’s men have been exceptional in the UEFA Champions League, where they will face Club Brugge in the round of 16.
On the other hand, Chelsea’s results have also faltered in the last few weeks, with the Blues losing two of their three most recent Premier League games. The inconsistencies have taken them from outside contenders for the Premier League title to battling for a place in the top four, with the latest setback dropping them to sixth in the standings.
The reverse fixture saw Chelsea cruise to a 3-0 win over Aston Villa, with Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez, and Cole Palmer finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Unai Emery has a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Aston Villa manager will be bereft of the services of as many as seven first-team players vs Chelsea on Saturday.
Axel Disasi is the latest absentee, as he cannot face his parent club. Ezri Konsa (knock) and Leon Bailey (match fitness) are close to returning to action. But they might not be fit enough to start against Chelsea this weekend. Meanwhile, Pau Torres (ankle), Ross Barkley (calf), Amadou Onana (hamstring), and Boubacar Kamara (thigh) remain on the sidelines.
Emiliano Martinez will take his spot between the sticks, with Aston Villa lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Saturday. The backline should feature Andres Garcia, Lamare Bogarde, Tyrone Mings, and Lucas Digne.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Youri Tielemans and John McGinn in the double pivot, with Morgan Rogers reprising the no. 10 role. Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa against Chelsea, with Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Garcia, Bogarde, Mings, Digne; Tielemans, McGinn; Rogers, Asensio, Rashford; Watkins
Chelsea
Like his counterpart in the Aston Villa dugout, Enzo Maresca has a new concern to worry about ahead of the trip to Villa Park. The Chelsea manager might be without as many as eight first-team players on Saturday.
There is some good news, as Malo Gusto is fit and available to take on Aston Villa. However, Noni Madueke is the latest absentee after picking up a hamstring injury last weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion. The Englishman has joined other players recovering from a hamstring issue — Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Omari Kellyman, Romeo Lavia, Marc Guiu, and Nicolas Jackson. Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk remains suspended.
Filip Jorgensen will retain his spot between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Aston Villa on Saturday. The backline should feature Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the double pivot. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, with Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho being the two wide attackers. Finally, Christopher Nkunku will spearhead the Chelsea attack against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Nkunku
Key Stats
- Aston Villa failed to win any of their four games vs Chelsea in 2024 (D2 L2). The Blues have won 13 Premier League games at Villa Park, only winning more at Tottenham (16) and Southampton (15).
- Aston Villa are unbeaten in 13 Premier League home games (W6 D7). However, they have gone five top-flight matches without a win (D4 L1).
- Chelsea have failed to win their six most recent away games in all competitions, losing the last three in a row. The Blues have only accrued nine points from their nine most recent Premier League games after taking 34 from their first 16 fixtures this season.
- Aston Villa’s only clean sheet in their 16 most recent Premier League and cup games came in last month’s 1-0 win at Everton.
- Cole Palmer’s most recent Premier League assist was for Enzo Fernandez against Aston Villa in December. Since then, he has created 33 chances for his teammates, and none of them have been converted.
Player to Watch
Marcus Rashford
While Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins, and Christopher Nkunku were viable candidates for this section, we have picked the resurgent Marcus Rashford as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s game between Aston Villa and Chelsea.
Rashford has scored four goals in eight Premier League home appearances against Chelsea. While the English international has yet to get off the mark at Aston Villa, he has been excellent in his cameos for the West Midlands outfit. Now is the time for the 27-year-old to find the back of the net, and a game-changing performance against Chelsea might be the ideal way to do that.
Prediction
Aston Villa 2-2 Chelsea
Saturday’s match features two teams eager to return to winning ways and get their Premier League campaigns back on track. However, their defensive frailties might lead to another frustrating result for Aston Villa and Chelsea.
Cole Palmer was a game-changer for Chelsea against Aston Villa in the reverse fixture, and he should deliver the goods this weekend. However, Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford will make their mark in the final third for the home side. Ultimately, there might not be much to separate the two teams, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw.
