Chelsea vs. Aston Villa preview (20:00 on September 24): Do the Blues continue to lose points?
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Chelsea vs. Aston Villa match: The Blues are not easy opponents.
The previous season, Chelsea finished 12th in the English Premier League. They did not have any achievements and did not participate in the European Cup. Having only 44 points from 38 games made the Blues management decide to sign Mauricio Pochettino. With his Premier League experience managing Southampton and Tottenham, the Argentine is expected to restore the Blues’ reputation. He has been offered a large amount of money to upgrade the squad in the summer of 2023, but for now, he is met with immense disappointment.
The season began with Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool, followed by a 3-1 defeat to West Ham. The Blues’ first win this season came at home against rookie Luton, who overwhelmed and outclassed their opponents 3-0. However, the joy was short-lived, as Chelsea shockingly let Nottingham Forest win 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. In the last match, Pochettino and his players continued to struggle as they failed to score against Bournemouth, which ultimately resulted in a goalless draw.
After the first five rounds of this Premier League season, Chelsea only had one win, two draws, and two defeats. With only 5 points, the Blues are ranked 14th in the table, scoring 5 goals and conceding 5 times. The gap to the top group is huge, and the London team needs to revive quickly. In the sixth round of the Premier League this season, Chelsea will be playing at home and hosting Aston Villa. The Chelsea vs. Aston Villa match is said to be a little favorable for the Blues, but it is not easy for them to win all three points.
Home ground does not give Chelsea an advantage. According to statistics, in the last 12 matches at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea has only 2 wins, drawn 5 and lost 5. The fact also proved that the London team could not win at home in the last 3 matches against Aston Villa, including 1 draw and 2 losses. Last season, Chelsea lost a game against Aston Villa at home, in which Ollie Watkins and John McGinn scored for the visitors.
On the other side, Aston Villa’s new season has started worse than expected. They suffered a 5-1 defeat to Newcastle away. However, after that, the team under the command of Unai Emery got nine points from the last four matches. Specifically, Aston Villa overcame Everton and Burnley with scores of 4-0 and 3-1, respectively. Although they later lost 3–0 to Liverpool away, Aston Villa regained confidence with a 3–1 win over Crystal Palace at home.
With a total of 9 points, Aston Villa is currently ranked 7th in the table. This team was not well prepared for the encounter with Chelsea. In their opening match in the Europa League group stage, Aston Villa let Legia Warsaw win 2–3. However, experts say that despite losing this European competition, the team, under the guidance of coach Unai Emery, is still confident when visiting Stamford Bridge.
In terms of force, Chelsea continue to face a very long injury list. Unfortunately, defenders Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, and Marc Cucurella were forced to sit out. In addition, midfielders Carney Chukwuemeka, Moises Caicedo, and Romeo Lavia were also unable to play. Noni Maduek, Armando Broja, and Christopher Nkunku are also undergoing treatment at the clinic.
In the current situation of the force, Chelsea could adopt a 4-2-3-1 system. Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi will be used as the team’s main center-back pairing. Ben Chilwell will play left-back, while Malo Gusto will occupy the right wing. Lesley Ugochukwu and Conor Gallagher will be the central midfield duo, aiming to create a solid attack for Enzo Fernandez, the team’s senior striker, to showcase his skills. Nicolas Jackson will take over the central striker role. Raheem Sterling and Mykhaylo Mudryk will have the opportunity to be used on either wing.
On the opposite side of the line, Aston Villa is facing a number of health issues. Emiliano Buendia and defender Tyrone Mings are currently in the treatment room. Tim Iroegbunam was also unable to play against Chelsea due to an injury. The appearances of Diego Carlos and Bertrand Traore are open because they have not fully recovered. Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby could be available in the visitors’ attack. John McGinn and Leon Bailey could be used in the last position. Youri Tielemans has been on the bench since the start of this week, but it is likely that he will be a substitute to make way for Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz to start the game.
Review of the scoring records of the two teams
With the advantage of playing at home, Chelsea are considered slightly higher than Aston Villa. However, with recent poor form, getting three points is not easy for the Blues. It must be noted that in the last three games at home, they could not win against opponents. Meanwhile, Aston Villa have also had a good start to the early stages of this season, and they are confident in their ability to get points against the hosts.
