Aston Villa is set to take on Chelsea at Villa Park in what promises to be a thrilling Premier League encounter on Saturday. With Villa seeking to bridge the gap to Chelsea, the Blues are determined to change their fortunes after a challenging period.
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
Date: Saturday, 22 February 2025
Kick-off Time: 17:30 GMT / 12:30 ET / 09:30 PT
Referee: Michael Oliver
VAR: Paul Tierney
Match Background
Aston Villa, playing their fourth consecutive home game, are coming off a respectable draw against league leaders Liverpool. However, their winless streak in the last five Premier League matches has seen them lose ground in the race for Champions League spots. A victory against Chelsea would bring them within a single point of the Blues.
On the other hand, Chelsea is grappling with a rough patch of their own, particularly struggling in away games. With no wins in their last six matches on the road across all competitions, Enzo Maresca’s squad is desperate for a morale-boosting victory to turn their season around.
Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Aston Villa: 1 win
- Chelsea: 2 wins
- Draws: 2
- Last meeting: Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa (1 December 2024)
Current Form (All Competitions)
- Aston Villa: D, D, W, L, W
- Chelsea: L, L, W, L, W
How to Watch
UK: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD, Sky GO, Sky GO Extra, NOW TV
US: fuboTV, UNIVERSO NOW, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO, NBC, Telemundo
Canada: fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada
Team News
Aston Villa:
- Unavailable: Axel Disasi (ineligible), Pau Torres (injury), Amadou Onana (injury), Boubacar Kamara (injury), Ross Barkley (injury)
- Doubtful: Leon Bailey (fitness concerns)
- Expected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Ramsey, Rogers, Rashford; Watkins
Chelsea:
- Unavailable: Noni Madueke (hamstring injury), Nicolas Jackson (fitness issues), Marc Guiu (fitness issues), Mykhailo Mudryk (suspension), Wesley Fofana (injury), Benoit Badiashile (injury), Romeo Lavia (injury), Omari Kellyman (long-term injury)
- Expected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Nkunku
Prediction
Chelsea’s recent form has put them under significant pressure, especially after back-to-back defeats to Brighton. Aston Villa, while also not in peak form, could capitalize on Chelsea’s uncertainties. Expect a closely contested match with Villa potentially edging it out.
Predicted Score: Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea