Ace Football previews the Premier League match between Chelsea and Aston Villa, and offers betting tips, odds, line-ups, and team news.
An in-form Aston Villa hope to take advantage of Chelsea’s struggles to claim a first win at Stamford Bridge since New Year’s Eve in 2011.
Both sides sit level on 25 points in the Premier League standings. Having played two games less than Chelsea, along with a superior win count and goal difference, Villa are ahead of their opponents in seventh place.
The visitors, though, have a poor head-to-head record in this fixture. They lost both games against Chelsea 2-1 last season, extending their losing streak against the Blues to five games in the Premier League, and haven’t won at Stamford Bridge in almost a decade.
But on the back of consecutive 3-0 victories, and the way Chelsea performed in their Boxing Day defeat to Arsenal, can the high-flying Villains spring another surprise?
Chelsea Form & Stats
Frank Lampard ripped into his players after a shocking 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday. The Gunners had them outclassed at the Emirates, especially in the opening 45 minutes, and left the Chelsea boss unimpressed.
Tammy Abraham may have pulled a late goal back, his third in two games, but it wasn’t enough to spare the Blues of a third defeat in four games. They do, however, sit seven points behind table-toppers Liverpool and just two points outside a top-four spot in eighth. So the damage can still be reverted.
Lampard has confirmed in his pre-match conference there will be rotations for the Villa match. Callum Hudson-Odoi will play on Monday, but Hakim Ziyech remains unavailable. The manager also hinted he could change his system to get the squad back into form.
A return to Stamford Bridge, however, is welcome. Chelsea have been impressive at home in 2020, winning 10 of their 15 league games (D3 L2). They’ve also scored at least three goals in five of their last six home matches and boast an impressive record against Villa.
Key Team Stats
- Lost 3 of their last 4 league games (W1).
- Won their last five league games against Aston Villa.
- Tammy Abraham has scored 3 goals in his last 2 league games.
- Fourth-best defensive record in the league (17 goals conceded).
- Second-best offensive record in the league (30 goals scored).
- Olivier Giroud has scored in each of his last 7 games against Aston Villa in all competitions (9 goals).
- Timo Werner has failed to score in his last 10 games in all competitions.
Aston Villa Form & Stats
Consecutive 3-0 victories over West Brom and Crystal Palace have moved Villa into seventh-place. This time last season, the visitors were struggling for survival in the Premier League down in 18th and 14 points behind Chelsea.
Fast forward to the present, however, Villa are level on 25 points with the Blues. They have two games in hand, one more victory (8) compared to the seven Lampard’s men have managed, and a superior goal difference.
Despite losing Tyrone Mings to a double booking before half-time on Saturday, Villa still claimed a 3-0 win over Palace. Bertrand Traore had put them ahead before a second-half double from Kortney Hause and Anwar El Ghazi sealed a third win in four games for the 10-man hosts.
Although Dean Smith has confirmed Ross Barkley is ineligible to play against parent club Chelsea. The Villa boss, like Lampard, could make rotations on Monday as well.
Key Team Stats
- Won 3 of their last 4 league games (D1).
- Kept a clean sheet in each of their last 4 league games.
- Second-best defensive record in the league (13 goals conceded).
- Won 5 of their 6 away league games this season (L1).
- Conceded just 2 goals in their 6 away league games this season.
- At least 1 red card has occurred in 4 of their last 6 league games.
Team News
Chelsea
Out: Hakim Ziyech
Doubts: N/A
Aston Villa
Out: Trezeguet, Tyrone Mings, Wesley, Ross Barkley.
Doubts: N/A
Predicted Line-ups
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in Premier League
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in the Premier League.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
More Odds
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