Chelsea-Aston Villa is a match for the twenty-ninth day of the Premier League and is played on Saturday at 18:30: TV, likely formations, predictions.
The three wins in a row between the league and Champions League may have taken the pressure off Graham Potter but it hasn’t helped to restore peace at Chelsea.
In the last game before the break, in fact, the Blues were caught at the last gasp by the dangerous Everton (2-2), throwing away the chance to recover some positions and make their ranking better. A disappointing result just when one had been under the impression that they had managed to turn over a new leaf. Awaiting the double challenge in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with Real Madrid, the Londoners are called to a desperate task to avoid being left out of any European competition next year: it would be an epoch-making fiasco, if we consider that the new ownership has spent over 500 million euros since it acquired the club last summer after the end of the Abramovich era. Chelsea, with eleven Premier League matches still to play, are only tenth: fourth place is 11 points away, although Tottenham have one game more than their cousins. Remaining will be very difficult in any case.
Chelsea have found the goals again
Potter, whose position remains far from secure, can console himself with the improvements in ball possession: in the last few days his Chelsea side have been scoring consistently, thanks in part to the January signings (Mudryk, Joao Felix) but above all thanks to an inspired Havertz, who has scored in three games in a row.
Watkins
Aston Villa have the same points in the table as Chelsea, 38. This is thanks to the work of Unai Emery, who in November picked up a team that had taken a nasty turn, sliding towards the relegation zone, and brought it back close to Europe. The Villans arrive at Stamford Bridge on the back of three wins and a draw: before the national team break, they had overwhelmed Bournemouth at Villa Park (3-0) and come to London threatening, with the aim of bringing points home. Since the former Villarreal coach has been on the bench, they have always scored at least one goal. In the English capital, Emery will have to do without Cash, who was injured against Poland. Potter, on the other hand, is hoping to recover Havertz, James and Fofana, who have returned from national teams, in extremis.
The Prediction
Aston Villa are a nasty customer but Chelsea can’t lose any more points on the road from now on if they want to have any chance of qualifying for the next European cups. The guests should manage to score at least one goal, as they have always done since the beginning of Emery’s management. But we don’t expect a very prolific contest, as no Premier League ground has scored less than at Stamford Bridge.
The Chelsea v Aston Villa line-up probables
- CHELSEA (3-4-3): Kepa; Badiashile, Koulibaly, Cucurella; James, Enzo Fernandez, Kovacic, Chilwell; Mudryk, Havertz, Joao Felix.
- ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; McGinn, Douglas Luiz; Bailey, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
