SM
Inter Milan vs. Como: 10 hrs 49 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
Collect News Data
CL
Premier League | Gameweek 4
Sep 11, 2021 at 5.30pm UK
Stamford Bridge
AV

Chelsea
3 - 0
Aston Villa

Lukaku (15', 90+3'), Kovacic (49')
Alonso (61')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Ramsey (8'), Mings (28'), McGinn (90'), Targett (90')

Preview: Chelsea vs. Aston Villa - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Chelsea vs. Aston Villa - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Saturday's Premier League clash between Chelsea and Aston Villa, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

Chelsea will be looking to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

The Blues have collected seven points from their first three matches of the 2021-22 campaign to occupy fourth spot in the table, while Villa are in 11th with four points to show for their troubles thus far.


Match preview

Chelsea's start to the new season has been impressive, recording back-to-back wins over Crystal Palace and Arsenal in their opening two league fixtures before drawing 1-1 with Liverpool before the international break.

The Blues actually took the lead at Anfield through Kai Havertz and looked in good shape before Reece James was sent off just before the interval; the incident saw Liverpool awarded a penalty, which Mohamed Salah scored, but Thomas Tuchel's side managed to leave Merseyside with a welcome point.

Chelsea are entering a fascinating period of their season, as they will take on Zenit St Petersburg in their Champions League group-stage opener on September 14 before travelling to Tottenham Hotspur, who currently sit at the top of the Premier League, next weekend.

The capital outfit will then face Villa in the EFL Cup ahead of a home league game against Manchester City before ending September with a trip to Juventus in the Champions League; Tuchel has put together an impressive squad, and he will need to use it during a busy few weeks.

Chelsea only actually took a point from their two league games against Villa last weekend, playing out a 1-1 draw with Dean Smith's side at Stamford Bridge in December before losing 2-1 at Villa Park on the final weekend of last season, but they still made the top four in the table despite the defeat.

Villa, meanwhile, opened their 2021-22 Premier League season with a disappointing defeat at newly-promoted Watford, but they managed to put an important three points on the board one week later courtesy of a 2-0 home success over Newcastle United.

Smith's side then thumped Barrow 6-0 in the EFL Cup but could not make it three straight wins in all competitions, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford at Villa Park before the international break.

Jack Grealish moved on during the summer transfer window, but the likes of Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey, Danny Ings and Ashley Young arrived, and the club's owners will be expecting a push into the top half of the table considering the quality present in the squad.

Villa, as mentioned, picked up a point at Stamford Bridge last season, but they have not actually beaten the Blues away from home in the Premier League since December 2011, when Stephen Ireland, Stilian Petrov and Darren Bent scored the goals in the English capital.

Smith's team were also inconsistent on their travels in the Premier League last term, but they did manage to record nine wins - just one fewer than Chelsea and Liverpool, and there is no question that this is a potential banana skin for the Champions League holders, particularly after an international break.

Chelsea Premier League form:
  • W
  • W
  • D

Chelsea form (all competitions):
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • D

Aston Villa Premier League form:
  • L
  • W
  • D

Aston Villa form (all competitions):
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • D

Team News

Chelsea will be without the services of James this weekend following his red card against Liverpool, but Thiago Silva is available for selection after a FIFA-imposed suspension was overturned.

Romelu Lukaku suffered an injury scare while on international duty with Belgium, but the thigh problem is thought to be minor, and he will be available for the match.

N'Golo Kante will need to be assessed due to an ankle problem, and Tuchel will not take any risks, meaning that Jorginho could be joined in midfield by Mateo Kovacic, although new signing Saul Niguez is also an option for the hosts in the middle of the park.

James's absence could see Cesar Azpilicueta switch to a wing-back role and allow Trevor Chalobah to come into the side in the middle of the defence.

The Blues will also be without the services of Christian Pulisic due to an ankle problem that the United States international suffered representing his country.

As for Villa, key duo Buendia and Emiliano Martinez will both be absent due to quarantine rules, while Trezeguet and Keinan Davis are both still on the sidelines.

Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Sanson remain doubts, but Ezri Konsa, Bailey and Bertrand Traore should all be available for the visitors, meaning that Smith does have options despite some key players being unavailable.

The Villa boss will want to be cautious at Stamford Bridge, but he will find it difficult to resist the temptation to start both fit-again Ollie Watkins and Ings, who has started the new campaign in impressive fashion.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Christensen, Chalobah, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Jorginho, Alonso; Havertz, Lukaku, Mount

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Steer; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Bailey, McGinn, Luiz, El Ghazi; Ings, Watkins


We say: Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa

This is a tough game for Chelsea, who have had a lot of their key players away on international duty. Villa will be a serious threat going forward if both Watkins and Ings are in the starting XI, but we are still expecting the Blues to pick up all three points, albeit by the narrowest of margins.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a home win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home Win:data



body check tags ::

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


amp_article__462923 : Collect and Make Data not in DataBase  : 
last updated article - 2024-06-05 12:53:03:
html db last update - 2024-06-05 12:53:03 :

ex - 7200 : read : write cache and make html
Read more!
Share this article now:


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!
Recommended Next on SM
What is Aston Villa's strongest XI for the 2021-22 season?
Man United's Marcus Rashford replacement likely to leave the club in January?
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

history www

Monday's Transfer Talk Update: Rashford, Ronaldo, Kudus

1

MT

Quartet walking suspension tightrope: Liverpool injury list for Leicester clash

2

QW

Is Bentancur available again? Tottenham injury list for Forest clash

NEW

3

IB

Grace Dent to replace Gregg Wallace for Celebrity MasterChef

NEW

4

GD

Monday's Primeira Liga predictions including Benfica vs. Estoril

5

MP

Pep Guardiola to dig into war chest and sign £80m rated attacker for Man City?

6

PG

Man United's Marcus Rashford replacement likely to leave the club in January?

7

MU

Amorim Vs Arteta: Manchester United to battle Arsenal for star forward?

8

AV

'Everton draw better than Brentford win': Maresca delighted with Toffees stalemate

9

'D

Preview: Yemen vs. Saudi Arabia - prediction, team news, lineups

10

PY


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .