Game Week 29 Predictions: Chelsea to beat Villa

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Unai Emery's side looks to overtake Graham Potter's team in the Premier League table. Ngolo Kante's return gives Chelsea hope.

 Chelsea vs. Aston Villa

Stamford Bridge Stadium

5:30pm

The Blues and the tenth position have been inseparable all season; you have to wonder what Chelsea needs to do to step out of the tenth position, but all in all, they’re still in the Champions League, and that could be where all their attention goes this term.

Aston Villa has been a different side since Unai Emery took over from Steven Gerrard last year, and a win away at Chelsea could see the midland side overtake Graham Potter’s side on the Premier League table as they both have the same points at the moment.

Chelsea has a rich squad; injured players are coming back, and the return of Ngolo Kante at this crucial time means everything.

Dropping points at home to Everton shows how bad they have become, but they have started scoring too, so it might just be up and forward from here.

The pressure is on Potter; he enjoyed the club’s investment in the January window, and what that means to him is an opportunity to impress.

The Blues can’t win the league anymore, and despite still being in the equation mathematically, the top four is gradually running out of sight for Chelsea.

Villa only has one goal this season: to finish as high as possible and springboard from there next season.

11th at the moment, but could be tenth if they beat Chelsea, and with another game coming in midweek, Villa might just be the team to watch.

Unai Emery knows Chelsea a bit; he has beaten them in the past with Arsenal, and he can do it again with Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Buendia, and goalkeeper Emi Martinez doing well at the moment.

Villa has nothing to lose at this stage, but Chelsea has everything to lose.

Both teams are on a similar run; they both have three wins in their last five in all competitions, a draw and a loss each, and this tiebreaker could just end in both teams sharing the spoils if it’s down to scraps.

Home-field advantage counts for something too; Emery’s team typically struggles away from home.

Chelsea will do well to trust Mhykalo Mudryk a little more and also consider tweaking the midfield combination with Kante back in contention.

Kai Havertz somehow looks like Potter as a striker, but watch out for Joao Felix as well as Enzo Fernandes.

Verdict: Chelsea wins