Aston Villa vs Chelsea predictions: More away woe for the Blues

James Mason

Spotlight

Unai Emery has Aston Villa in the mix for a Champions League finish

- Villa are on a five-game unbeaten run at home in all competitions
- Chelsea were thrashed 5-0 at Arsenal last time out
- Recommended bet: Aston Villa to win

Aston Villa will be looking to cement their place in the top four of the Premier League when they welcome a wounded Chelsea to Villa Park on Saturday evening.

The Villans occupy fourth place in the table, six points ahead of fifth-place Tottenham who have two games in hand, but Unai Emery's side have the opportunity to put the pressure on Spurs in the battle for the final Champions League spot.

Villa's strong home form has returned over the last month, and they will fancy their chances of defeating a Chelsea side that imploded in Tuesday's 5-0 loss against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Team news

Douglas Luiz's return will provide a midfield boost for Aston Villa

Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz is back for Villa after serving a two-match suspension and is expected to go straight into the starting XI for this contest.

Jacob Ramsey, Tyrone Mings, Boubacar Kamara, Emiliano Buendia and Alex Moreno are all out injured, while Nicolo Zaniolo will be assessed after missing the victory over Bournemouth last time out.

Cole Palmer missed Chelsea's defeat to Arsenal due to illness and it is hoped he will be back in contention, while Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell were also absent for that clash and will be assessed.

Lesley Ugochukwu, Christopher Nkunku and Robert Sanchez are back in partial training and are getting closer to a return, but Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and Reece James remain sidelined.

The stats

Villa are on a five-game unbeaten streak at home in all competitions, a run which has seen them move into the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League, as well as maintain their push for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

The Villans boast the fourth-best home record in the league, collecting 38 points from 17 matches, while their tally of 43 goals scored at home is the joint-highest in the division.

Chelsea have suffered back-to-back away defeats in all competitions, losing 1-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals and 5-0 at Arsenal in the league, while they are without a road win since February 12.

The Blues have conceded 32 goals from 16 away assignments in the top flight and have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 16 road fixtures.

The latest Aston Villa vs Chelsea odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Prediction

Villa have hit form at the business end of the season and come into this contest following back-to-back wins in the Premier League, a run that includes their 2-0 triumph against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Emery's troops have been excellent in the final third, failing to score in just one of their last 13 league assignments, and they will be relishing the chance to take on a fragile Chelsea.

The Blues looked to be building momentum after putting together an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions, but two defeats in a row, the most recent a 5-0 humbling at Arsenal, has put the pressure back on manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea have struggled on the road, winning just two of their last 11 away league matches, and it looks like it will be a long night for them in the West Midlands.

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