Chelsea travels on the final matchday of the campaign to Aston Villa, knowing a win will guarantee a top-four finish. The match schedules for Sunday at Villa Park, with kickoff at 6 pm.
Thomas Tuchel executed revenge on the Foxes with a 2-1 win to leapfrog them in the top four-horse race. The win moves the Blues to third in the rankings with one point clear of Leicester City and Liverpool.
Dean Smith put more pressure on incumbent manager Ryan Mason following a 2-1 win over Tottenham. The hosts led with a Steve Bergwijn but followed with an unfortunate Sergio Reguilon’s own goal. Ollie Watkins finished the game in the first half, as the Villans picked up all three points.
The win was a recovery from their previous humiliating loss to Crystal Palace, as the Villans led 2-1 in the 75th minute. However, Wilfred Zaha and Tyrick Mitchell netted the hosts with only five minutes to go.
Since Thomas Tuchel’s appointment at the helm, it has been a different upturn for the Blues picking up 38 points from 18 matches. The win over the Foxes put the Blues in pole position to make Champions League qualification.
However, Tuchel maintains an eye on the Champions League final on Saturday. A quick turnover for the Blues would be clinching the continental trophy followed by a top-four finish.
Aston Villa vs. Chelsea Head to Head
Both sides have 23 games against each other, with Aston Villa taking four wins while Chelsea with 14 wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa
- Crystal Palace 3-2 Aston Villa
- Aston Villa 0-0 Everton
- Aston Villa 1-3 Manchester United
- Everton 1-2 Aston Villa
Away
- Chelsea 2-1 Leicester City
- Chelsea 0-1 Leicester City
- Blues 0-1 Arsenal
- Man City 1-2 Chelsea
- Chelsea 2-0 Real Madrid
Aston Villa Team News
Right-back Matty Cash is unavailable for selection this weekend, while Morgan Sanson and Trezequet remain unavailable. Ross Barkley is unavailable to feature against his parent club, having been on loan for the Midlands mixed feelings. A major injury boost is the return of Jack Grealish.
Chelsea Team News
N’golo Kante is unlikely to get risked ahead of this clash, especially after the clash with Leicester City. Instead, Tuchel is likely to stick to Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in the middle of the park. Andreas Christensen and Kai Havertz are injury concerns.
Prediction and Odds
Given the heavy number of key players at home, we expect Chelsea to use their squad depth to finish the job.
- Chelsea Win
- Correct Score: 0-2
- Goals Under 3.5
