Aston Villa vs Chelsea
If you are a Chelsea fan, these are potentially exciting times.
This week’s announcement that one of the hottest young prospects in football, Timo Werner, was to join the club this summer, hot on the heels of the impending arrival of Hakim Ziyech, suggests Chelsea’s ruthless touch is returning after a tepid few years in the transfer market.
Only thing now is they need to be sure of a top four Premier League finish if their new recruits are to play in the Champions League next season.
All but out of this year’s competition after a first leg pummelling in their last 16 tie by German champions Bayern Munich, that means there is only one way of a return next term and is why this trip to Villa Park is a key fixture.
Talking Points
For both clubs, in fact, victory is vital.
That is because Villa need the points just as much as the west Londoners.
How Villa would love to be able to announce a marquee signing of their own but first, they need to ensure their top-flight survival.
In their first match back on Wednesday in Project Restart, the point they gained at home to Sheffield United in a goalless draw may prove vital in the final reckoning.
Yet their failure to convert chances left them in the bottom three – albeit only three points separate five sides in and around the drop zone – and it would have been far worse had it not been for a VAR clanger which robbed their opponents of a certain goal.
Bar a home humbling by reigning champions Manchester City, Dean Smith’s side have had some real moments of joy since their promotion last summer.
However, those Premier League highlights and run to the League Cup Final, where they were only narrowly defeated, will count for little if the club drops straight back into the Championship next month.
Their midweek draw ended a run of four straight defeats so it’s clear they need to start picking up the points and quickly if they are to pull clear.
On saying that, a first league win since they defeated Watford in January would be a bonus this weekend and, another draw, would surely be a platform to build on.
Chelsea weren’t in exactly the finest of form themselves before the Covid-19 enforced hiatus but they have top quality in most areas of the park.
That was shown by their last two outings in March which saw them thump Everton 4-0 at Stamford Bridge, days after knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup.
The potential upside for Villa is that Chelsea have failed to win an away league match since the turn of the year – drawing three and losing the other; this after winning seven of the previous nine.
Team news wise, Villa right-back Frederic Guilbert could be involved after a knee injury, but Bjorn Engels remains out.
Loanee Danny Drinkwater is also ineligible to face his parent club.
Chelsea defender Fiikayo Tomori faces 10 days out because of a muscle injury, while midfielder Jorginho must complete a two-match ban.
Of their talented youngsters, Callum Hudson-Odoi is not yet fit enough to be involved but Ruben Loftus-Cheek is available for the first time since rupturing his Achilles 13 months ago and could be named on what will be an extended substitutes bench due to the changes introduced for the remainder of the campaign.
It’s all to play for at Villa Park and the result could be pivotal in the final standings – at both ends of the table.
History
Until Roman Abramovich breezed into town in the summer of 2003 and changed the landscape of English football, Villa held the upper hand in this fixture.
That quickly changed as the free-spending billionaire turned Chelsea from pretenders into the finished article. Indeed, in the 31 meetings between the sides in all competitions since then, Villa have only won on six occasions with Chelsea triumphing in the last five, including a 2-1 home win earlier in the season when goals from Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount – two of the other youngsters manager Frank Lampard has shown faith in this term – cancelled out a Trezeguet reply.
How Villa must wish they still had Abraham who netted 26 goals in 40 appearances on loan last season to help them gain promotion.
Villa’s only win at home to Chelsea in the past decade came in March 2014 when Fabian Delph scored the only goal of the game.
Betting Tip
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Aston Villa vs Chelsea | Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.07 |
| June 21, 11:15 (GMT+8) |
The SBOBET Premier League betting odds fall firmly in Chelsea’s favour, 1X2 @ 1.53 and Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 1.89.
Villa, meanwhile, are priced 1X2 @ 6.00 and Asian Handicap + 0.75 @ 2.28.
I do suspect this will be an open game and it is hard to know whether the fact Villa have already played a competitive game will be an advantage or not.
My mind keeps switching to which bet to go for here and I am tempted by the 1X2 draw @ 4.00.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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