Aston Villa are looking to give their Champions League hopes a major boost when they welcome Chelsea to Villa Park on Saturday night. Villa are currently six points clear of Tottenham in the race for a top-four finish, albeit having played two more games than Spurs.
Villa are expected to be out to celebrate Unai Emery’s new deal at the weekend after the Spaniard ended speculation over his future by putting pen to paper at Villa Park. That said, the Villans don’t have the best record against Chelsea in Birmingham, losing six of their last seven visits of the London side.
Emery is without no fewer than six players here, leaving little room for rotation. That said, Douglas Luiz returns from a ban, which is a huge boost for the Blues, and the Brazilian is expected to start in the middle of the park against Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino has a lengthy list of absentees to contend with, though Cole Palmer may return at the weekend, which would be a bonus for the Blues boss. Enzo Fernandez is out for the rest of the season and joins the likes of Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia on the sidelines.
Trevoh Chalobah and Thiago Silva may start at the back after Chelsea’s midweek shambles at Arsenal, while Axel Disasi is set to deputise at right-back.
What time does Aston Villa vs Chelsea kick off?
Aston Villa’s game against Chelsea has a slightly later kick off time for a Saturday night, with the match starting at 20:00 (GMT) at Villa Park.
Is Aston Villa vs Chelsea live on TV?
Yes, this game will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1. Coverage starts at 19:00 (GMT).
