Villa vs Chelsea Preview, Forecasts, and Top Wagers Explored

Aston Villa and Chelsea prepare for Premier League clash at Villa Park

Aston Villa hosts Chelsea in a highly anticipated Premier League fixture set for this Saturday. The visiting Blues have endured back-to-back losses, but they boast a strong record on their travels, having won on six of their last seven visits to Villa Park. Meanwhile, Villa have lost three of their last seven home matches in the league.

Aston Villa's Form

Villa have proven resilient in recent matches, having only lost three times in 14 outings across all competitions. A 4-0 home defeat against Tottenham was swiftly avenged with a 4-0 home victory over Ajax, qualifying for the Europa Conference League quarter-finals. A 1-1 draw at West Ham, a 2-0 home win against Wolves, and a 4-1 loss at Manchester City with a depleted squad followed.

After giving up a 2-0 lead in a 3-3 home draw against Brentford, Villa responded with a 2-1 home win over Lille, followed by a superb 2-0 league victory away at Arsenal and another home victory by the same scoreline in the return encounter against Lille. The last game for the Villans was a 3-1 home win over Bournemouth.

Betting Option: Premier League

Aston Villa Team News

Midfielder Douglas Luiz returns from a two-match suspension for Villa and is available for the match. Emi Buendia, Boubacar Kamara, and Jacob Ramsey are ruled out for the home side. Tyrone Mings remains sidelined following knee surgery, while Alex Moreno will not participate at left back. Nicolo Zaniolo is hoping to recover from a muscle injury to feature.

Motivation for Aston Villa

Villa's attention will need to be split as they face Olympiakos in the Europa Conference League semi-final before this Premier League encounter. However, a win against Chelsea could be a significant step towards Champions League qualification, with Villa currently six points ahead of Tottenham in the top-four race, who have a crucial match against Arsenal this weekend.

Chelsea's Form

Chelsea have suffered two consecutive losses, their first since a defeat 12 games preceding this slump. They suffered a 1-0 loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, and their most recent match saw a 5-0 drubbing at Arsenal, conceding 3.42 expected goals (xG) and being outshot 27-7 prior to the Gunners easing off late.

Before these losses, Chelsea's form had been mixed, with a 2-2 home draw against ten-man Burnley, a 4-3 home win over Manchester United, a 2-2 draw at Sheffield United in the last minute, and a 6-0 rout of Everton, with Cole Palmer scoring four goals.

Chelsea Team News

Defenders Reece James, Wesley Fofana, and Levi Colwill continue to be unavailable for Chelsea. Ben Chilwell and Malo Gusto are injury doubts, and Enzo Fernandez persists with an injury issue. However, Cole Palmer is expected to return to the starting lineup following an illness, while Christopher Nkunku remains sidelined.

Chelsea's Motivation

Chelsea's motivation has been inconsistent, failing to display the same levels of confidence and assertiveness in some matches. However, a win in this match would help maintain their hopes of securing a top-seven finish.

Key Statistics

Villa have won six of their last ten league matches.
Villa have conceded in eight of their last nine home league games (scoring a combined 14 goals during the last five games).
Villa have lost six of their last seven home matches against Chelsea.
Chelsea have lost their last two games (only losing once in the 12 matches prior).
Chelsea have managed just one clean sheet in their last 16 matches (leaking 33 goals during this period).
Cole Palmer and Villa's Ollie Watkins have each scored 23 goals for their respective teams in the current season.

Editor's Verdict

Although the return of Cole Palmer and Chelsea's past success at Villa Park provide hope for the Blues, Villa appear to be the better-performing side, with more at stake in this match. The hosts are predicted to secure a victory in this encounter.

Best Bet: Aston Villa win at odds of 2.20

Alternate Bet: Both Teams to Score + No Draw at odds of 1.95

Goalscorer Tip: Watkins and Palmer to both score anytime at odds of 5.32

The upcoming Premier League fixture between Aston Villa and Chelsea, scheduled for Saturday, sees Villa preparing to host the visiting Blues, who have a strong record at Villa Park.
As the season progresses, Aston Villa have remained resilient, showcasing a mixed form in the Premier League, but demonstrating victory in six of their last ten league games.
Desiring to secure a top-four finish and qualify for the Champions League, Villa will need to focus on their upcoming match against Chelsea, while also preparing for their UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final against Olympiakos.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have experienced back-to-back losses after a mixed run of form, but aim to regain their footing by maintaining a top-seven finish in the remaining European-league games.