Prediction: Draw
Best Odds: 27/10
Bookmaker: 888sport
The December schedule is in full swing as clubs up and down the Premier League prepare for a season of joy, anxiety and unpredictability. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for football fans with games coming at us from every single direction, and that theme is going to continue later this week with one of the featured games pitting a nervous Chelsea against in-form Aston Villa.
Aston Villa
Steven Gerrard has managed to really reintroduce some excitement into proceedings at Villa Park and long may it continue for their fans. The January transfer window is going to serve as a really interesting test of where this club plans to go in the next few years because if they can carry on this sort of form, it’s not unthinkable to imagine them making a push for Europe.
Team News
Traore, Bailey and Nakamba are all out through injury with Sanson, El Ghazi, Davis and Young being viewed as fitness doubts.
Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel knows and understands how this league works by now but what he probably didn’t account for is just how difficult every single game was going to be. The English top flight is absolutely relentless in just about every way imaginable and if they want to stay in the title race, they have to get smart to that fact – or else they’ll be left behind by City and Liverpool.
Team News
Werner and Chilwell have been ruled out with the following players being fitness doubts: Lukaku, Havertz, Hudson-Odoi, Christensen, Ziyech and Loftus-Cheek.
Factors to Consider
- Aston Villa are 10th in the Premier League whereas Chelsea are 3rd.
- Aston Villa have won four and lost two of their last six games.
- Chelsea have won two, drawn three and lost one of their last six games.
- Aston Villa have scored nine goals and conceded five in their last six games.
- Chelsea have scored 11 goals and conceded nine in their last six games.
Conclusion
Chelsea are on the ropes right now and Villa are on fire – which is going to add up to a pretty entertaining game between these two, in our view. There’s going to be a great deal of attacks in the final third with the Blues being dragged into another war, which is the last thing they need in their current situation. In the end, we’ll end up with a 2-2 draw and a whole lot of entertainment.
Prediction: Draw
Best Odds: 27/10
Bookmaker: 888sport
