Game Week 26 Predictions: Chelsea to drop points again at Villa

Aston Villa hosts Chelsea in a crucial top-four battle. Can the Blues bounce back, or will Villa’s resilience at home prove too strong? A thrller.

Chelsea must find a way to earn maximum points here as a loss could throw them completely out of the top four conversations. (Photo credit: Opta)

 Aston Villa vs Chelsea

Villa Park

6:30 pm

Aston Villa were inches away from beating Liverpool, a result that would have catapulted them to joint seventh on the log, but the point they got has introduced intrigue into the title race.

Chelsea’s season is already slumping into despair, from being rated as an unlikely title challenger to now fighting for their lives in the top four race; something must happen quickly for Enzo Maresca and the Blues before things go from bad to worse.

Aston Villa drew Club Brugge in the Champions League draw for the round of 16. They played in the group stage with the Belgians beating Unai Emery’s men, but everyone at Aston Villa would agree it was a great draw.

Chelsea, on the other hand, drew Copenhagen, a side you expect them to dispatch effortlessly in the round of 16 of the Europa Conference League; however, the domestic form is one the Blues must work on before they slip further away from reckoning.

Chelsea has only two wins from their last five; the other three were defeats, and two of those defeats were in back-to-back games to Brighton.  The other was the hapless loss away at the home of the champions. You wonder what happened to the high-flying Blues.

Injury is one thing; form is another. Cole Palmer hasn’t impacted recent games, which explains their woes in front of goal. Now it’s clear that Chelsea needs more game changers, or they will continue to tell the same story every match day.

Axel Disasi had a great game against Liverpool, but he will be ineligible to face Aston Villa this weekend as he can’t play against his parent club, which means Aston Villa will settle for a potential return of Ezri Konsa to centre back with Matty Cash back in contention.

Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara, and former Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley are all unavailable for this one, but Leon Bailey could feature if he passes a late fitness test, with Villa needing options in wide positions for this game.

Chelsea won’t have the presence of Noni Madueke as he has joined the injury contingents; however, Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku are both available to try to write their own story once again for Chelsea with the Blues needing people to rise to the occasion.

Chelsea should be winning games like this, but Aston Villa won’t be a pushover, and if Unai Emery’s men show up the way they did against Liverpool, Chelsea could well labour to earn a point. Will Cole Palmer step up for this one?

Verdict: Full-time draw.