When Chelsea FC hosts Aston Villa on Sunday, one team will be coming off having played European football in midweek. And it’s not the one you’re thinking of, as Chelsea remain a very injury-riddled, extremely over-priced mess of a side. While it is still very early on this young season, the Blues enter this match sitting at a position in the table that is even lower than where they finished last term, believe it or not.
As for Villa, they had a historically good finish last season, and thus find themselves in UEFA Europa Conference League action this campaign.
Chelsea FC vs Aston Villa FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Sept. 24, 2pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Full Fitness/Injury Report Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Position, Form: Chelsea 14th, 5 pts, DLWLD Aston Villa 7th, 9 pts, WLWWL
Google Result Probability: Chelsea 51% Draw 25% Aston Villa 24%
So the Blues will have the advantage of extra rest and fresher legs in this one. Let’s see if it pays off for them. Now let’s try to get inside the mind of Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino when he picks his team for the Sunday matinee.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction vs Aston Villa
Robert Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer; Ian Maatsen, Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Jackson
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.