Date: Sunday 21st June 2020
Venue: Villa Park
Kick-off: 16:15 BST
This will be the most bizarre end to
a Premier League campaign, and it’s probably one that shouldn’t be being played
out in the circumstances but here we are anyway, facing Aston Villa away,
complete with simulated ‘atmosphere’, even more simulated social distancing,
and ‘protecting the NHS’ as distant a memory as Tottenham’s last win.
Villa come into this game, having
experienced the new set-up already, in a goalless draw against Sheffield United
on Wednesday. This afternoon will be a new experience for us, but with the
weekend’s fixtures having largely gone in our favour so far, Frank might kick
the players even more than they’d kick themselves if they fail to take
advantage today.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going
into today’s game, Aston Villa manager, Dean Smith says “We’ll have an idea of their squad and the shape. As Chris
Wilder said before our game (against Sheffield United), there aren’t too many
surprises going to be thrown out. We
know each other’s squads because nothing’s changed within our squads. We’ll
have a good idea of who we’re going to be facing.”
Chelsea manager, Frank
Lampard, meanwhile says “We’ve trained
really well and had some friendlies but nothing replicates the Premier League. We have to go full throttle no matter what
game it is in terms of giving it everything. It won’t be easy but we need to be
focused and be at our best.
We are looking to see what the change
will be and it has been strong in Germany, but we have to see what the future
will be in the Premier League. We are
going to have to use all the squad, but it’s like tournament football.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Aston Villa, Bjorn Engels (Achilles),
Wesley and Tom Heaton (both knee) are out. Danny Drinkwater is ineligible to
face us. Frederic Guilbert (knee) has returned to training and could be
involved, whilst John McGinn will be assessed before the game.
For Chelsea, Fiikayo Tomori (muscle) faces
10 days out after an injury in training and Callum Hudson-Odoi is not fit
enough to be involved. Jorginho meanwhile, misses out with a two-match ban that
wasn’t forgotten about in lockdown. Ruben
Loftus-Cheek is available for the first time since rupturing his Achilles 13
months ago.
TEAMS
ASTON VILLA (Possible
line-up): Nyland; Konsa, Hause, Mings, Targett; Hourihane, Luiz, Nakamba; El
Ghazi, Samatta, Grealish
CHELSEA (Possible
line-up): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Zouma, Alonso; Kante; Gilmour; Kovacic; Loftus-Cheek,
Abraham; Willian
LAST SEASON
N/A
CURRENT FORM (PL)
ASTON VILLA: WLLLLD
CHELSEA: DDLWDW
OTHER STUFF
- This is the 50th
Premier League fixture between the clubs. Chelsea lead by 25 wins to Villa’s
12, with 12 draws.
- Aston Villa have
lost nine of the past 10 league meetings, winning the other at home in March
2014.
- Chelsea’s current
five-match winning league streak against Villa is their best in this fixture.
- Villa have taken just
two points from their last 21 games against the established top-six Premier
League sides since April 2015.
- Villa’s only win in
the past eight league fixtures came at home to Watford in January.
- Chelsea haven’t won
any of their four Premier League away games in 2020 (D3, L1).
- Chelsea haven’t won
a Premier League game outside London since beating Watford in November.
- Chelsea have
conceded 39 league goals so far in the current campaign.
PREDICTION
BBC Sport: Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea
Sky Sports: Aston Villa 1-3 Chelsea
Sportsmole: Aston Villa 1-3 Chelsea
