Overview
- Third-place Aston Villa visit fourth-place Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a match with direct implications for the top-four race.
- Unai Emery’s side arrive on a 10-match winning run in all competitions after a 2-1 victory over Manchester United.
- Chelsea’s form remains uneven under Enzo Maresca, with a 2-2 draw at Newcastle following a sluggish start despite a recent home clean-sheet win over Everton.
- Availability updates include Villa missing Ross Barkley until February plus Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings, optimism over Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott, and Chelsea expecting two summer signings back as Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia continue rehabilitation.
- Analysts expect Chelsea to dominate possession with Villa exploiting transitions, with some previews predicting a high-scoring draw such as 2-2.