Head-to-head info
While Villa may be in better form, the Blues have been the more consistent side when these clubs go to battle. Chelsea has tasted defeat just twice in their last 10 meetings with the Lions and cruised to an impressive 3-0 win over their matchday 26 opponents last December. In fact, Villa has won just twice in their 11 last games on home soil against the Blues.
Villa looking for crucial three points
Villa was one of the biggest surprises in the England top flight last term, ultimately finishing in fourth place and earning a berth in the UCL. They’ve impressed heavily in Europe’s most prized competition, qualifying for the Round of 16, where the club will face Belgian standouts Club Brugge. However, Unai Emery’s men haven’t been as consistent in the Premier League in 2024-25.
The Lions are currently sitting in ninth place with a 10-9-7 record but just five points off Manchester City, who are in fourth. Making the Champions League again is by no means a pipe dream, but they need to be stringing together results every week. Villa has drawn back-to-back games with Ipswich Town and Liverpool, as previously mentioned. However, the stalemate with the Reds was definitely respectable.
Mo Salah opened the scoring for the visitors before Youri Tielemans equalized before halftime and just minutes later, Ollie Watkins put the hosts ahead. But, Trent Alexander-Arnold came to the rescue for Arne Slot’s squad with a 61st-minute goal. This was the first time we saw Villa’s new-look front four together, with January signings Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford joining Watkins and Morgan Rogers. They will be looking to create havoc against Chelsea. Villa has +155 odds at Sports Interaction.
Chelsea in poor form
The Blues had a very strong few first months to the campaign but they’ve been struggling since Christmas. Enzo Maresca’s group just suffered two consecutive defeats to Brighton, one in the FA Cup and the other in the Premier League, dropping them into sixth. It’s not a fun time to be a Chelsea supporter.
In fact, the Blues have lost three of their last four outings across all competitions, also falling to Manchester City in late January at the Etihad. Thankfully, a return to the Champions League is still very much in play. They’re only one point behind the Cityzens in the table. That being said, finding the full points on Saturday is absolutely critical.
Chelsea has a 6-3-4 record on the road and has beaten Villa 13 times away from home, their most victories against any EPL opponent other than Southampton (15) and Tottenham (16). Having lost four of their last eight league games, the visitors are certainly due for a victory. Cole Palmer has failed to score in five matches in a row and with Nicolas Jackson sidelined due to injury, the Englishman must step up on Saturday. The Blues have similar odds to Villa at soccer betting sportsbooks.
