Chelsea and Aston Villa will face off in a Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge this Sunday, both teams coming off European adventures earlier in the week. Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory against Heidenheim in the Conference League, while Aston Villa battled to a 1-1 draw against Juventus in the Champions League.
Chelsea head into the match with a positive outlook, having navigated an unbeaten November. Their recent form includes a 2-0 win against Leicester City in the Premier League, where they earned their first league victory after the international break. Chelsea will be eager to build on that success and push forward in the standings. Despite some recent wins, Chelsea has struggled at Stamford Bridge, collecting just nine points from their home games so far this season—the lowest ratio in the league. To narrow the gap to top-of-the-table Liverpool, they will need to turn around their home form.
The Blues have been buoyed by the attacking exploits of Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer, both tied as top scorers for the team in the Premier League with seven goals each. Meanwhile, Noni Madueke has also shown promise, contributing four goals. Enzo Maresca will be hoping his squad can find consistency and continue their momentum in the league.
For Aston Villa, recent results have been less than encouraging. After a strong start to the season, Villa has been struggling, failing to win any of their last seven matches in all competitions. Their most recent Premier League outings have been disappointing, with losses to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, followed by a draw against Crystal Palace. Frustrations have been mounting, especially after a controversial ending to their Champions League match against Juventus, in which Morgan Rogers’ late strike was disallowed.
Unai Emery’s side will be desperate to return to winning ways. Villa’s recent form in the Premier League has been marked by inconsistency, and they will look to bounce back from a four-match winless streak. However, they can take some comfort from their past performances at Stamford Bridge, where they’ve won two and drawn one of their last three competitive matches against Chelsea.
In terms of team news, Chelsea is set to welcome back key players for this match. Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia, who were not part of the Conference League squad, will rejoin the matchday squad. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, both of whom were absent for the Heidenheim match, are expected to start in midfield. However, Chelsea will once again be without Reece James, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Malo Gusto, who has not featured since the international break. Pedro Neto, who has been recovering from a knock sustained during international duty with Portugal, will also be unavailable.
Aston Villa will likely see Ezri Konsa return to the starting lineup alongside Pau Torres in defense, with Diego Carlos possibly dropping to the bench. Jhon Duran, known for his impact off the bench, is pushing for a starting role and could replace Ollie Watkins, who has been Villa’s top scorer this season. The Villans will rely on their midfield duo of Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans, as well as the creativity of Leon Bailey and John McGinn, to break down Chelsea’s defense and support their attacking efforts.
For Chelsea, the focus will be on improving their form at home, where they have underperformed this season. Maresca’s squad will need to find a balance between their attacking threats and defensive solidity if they hope to close the gap to the top four.
For Villa, securing a positive result against Chelsea will be crucial in turning around their fortunes in the league. With their squad potentially strengthened by key returns, Emery will be hoping that the team can end their winless streak and build confidence going into the busy winter period.
This clash promises to be an intriguing encounter, with both sides eager to turn around recent struggles and claim vital points in their respective quests for a higher finish in the Premier League. With the form of both teams fluctuating, Stamford Bridge will be the stage for an exciting match on Sunday.
