Aston Villa (AVL) will be hoping to play spoilsport when they host Chelsea (CHE) in the English Premier League (EPL) clash tonight. The Birmingham-based club has secured 11th position in the points table and could hamper Chelsea’s top-four hopes with a draw. Villa came back from a goal down to beat Tottenham Hotspur in their last league fixture.
Thomas Tuchel’s men will be confident ahead of the Aston Villa trip as they haven’t lost an away game in the league since January. The Blues have to pick up three points to secure a Champions League group stage spot. However, a defeat for either Liverpool or Leicester City will seal a top-four finish for Chelsea.
Team news
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith could field the same starting eleven that won against Tottenham Hotspur in London. Jack Grealish made his first start in two months, while Tyrone Mings, who missed the game against Crystal Palace, played 90 minutes. Apart from long-term absentees, Ross Barkley is the only player unavailable for selection. The 27-year-old, on loan from Chelsea, is ineligible to face his parent club.
The Blues are sweating over the fitness of midfielder N’Golo Kante, who went off with a hamstring issue in the first half against Leicester City on Wednesday. With less than a week to go for the Champions League final, Kante is likely to be rested. Meanwhile, Kai Havertz has returned to training after suffering a minor hamstring injury in the FA Cup final. The 21-year-old could find a place in the 20-member squad.
Previous meeting: CHE 1-1 AVL (Goalscorers: O Giroud; A El Ghazi)
Stats & Facts
- Cesar Azpilicueta has six assists in ten appearances against Aston Villa
- Jack Grealish, Bertrand Traore, and John McGinn have a combined tally of 21 assists in the league this season
- Aston Villa has claimed only one win in their last eight league outings at home
- Chelsea has won ten out of their last 12 fixtures against Aston Villa in the league
English Premier League 2020-21 stats
Top Goalscorer: AVL – O Watkins (14 goals); CHE – Jorginho (7 goals)
Most Assists: AVL – J Grealish (10 assists); CHE – T Werner (8 assists)
Most Clean Sheets: AVL – E Martinez (15 clean sheets); CHE – E Mendy (16 clean sheets)
Injuries/Suspensions
AVL: M Sanson (injured), M Cash (injured), Trezeguet (injured), R Barkley (ineligible)
CHE: N Kante (doubtful)
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Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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