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Thursday, December 31
Dec 28, 2020 at 5.30pm UK
ChelseaChelsea
1-1
Aston VillaAston Villa
Giroud (34')
Azpilicueta (45+2'), Giroud (71'), Kante (74')
FT(HT: 1-0)
El Ghazi (50')
El Ghazi (71')
/esi/1339/6_G_1_120518/index.html?art_id=427985&game_id=120518&sport_id=1&ESI

Preview: Chelsea vs. Aston Villa - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Chelsea vs. Aston Villa - prediction, team news, lineups: ID:427985: from db_amp
Sports Mole previews Monday's Premier League clash between Chelsea and Aston Villa, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Chelsea will be aiming to bounce back from their dampening derby defeat to Arsenal when they welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge on Monday.

In contrast, Villa head to Stamford Bridge following a resounding 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, with Dean Smith's side playing the second 45 with 10 men on Boxing Day.


Match preview

Fresh from a resounding 3-0 victory over local rivals West Ham United, Chelsea made the trip across the capital to take on Arsenal with the goal of marching to their second successive triumph in a London derby.

However, Arsenal simply outclassed the title-chasing Blues in spite of their recent struggles, with Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka all netting for the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium, with Tammy Abraham pulling one back for the Blues late on.

Jorginho also saw a late penalty saved by Bernd Leno as Arsenal came up trumps in a Boxing Day shock, with the defeat in North London representing Chelsea's third loss in four matches following previous away defeats to Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Leicester and Manchester United had played out a 2-2 draw before Chelsea took to the pitch at the Emirates Stadium, but Frank Lampard's men missed the chance to leapfrog their opponents into second and will be desperate to bounce back as soon as possible, but getting the better of Villa will not be a walk in the park whatsoever.

Aston Villa headed into their game with Crystal Palace having eased past Sam Allardyce's West Bromwich Albion before the festive fixtures, with Dean Smith's side hoping to stretch their unbeaten run to four matches on Boxing Day.

Bertrand Traore took just five minutes to break the deadlock at Villa Park before Tyrone Mings was sent off on the stroke of half time, but Kortney Hause doubled Villa's lead before Anwar El Ghazi smashed home to ensure that Dean Smith's side took the spoils with 10 men.

Smith's men produced a truly dominant performance in the West Midlands despite being a man down for most of the game, and that win - their third in four Premier League matches - temporarily moves them up to seventh before Sunday's fixtures take place.

Chelsea go into the visit of Villa hoping to record their seventh consecutive win over the West Midlands outfit - with manager Lampard the top scorer in this fixture with 14 goals to his name - and Villa's most recent win at Stamford Bridge came on New Year's Eve in 2011.

Chelsea Premier League form: DWLLWL
Chelsea form (all competitions): WDLLWL

Aston Villa Premier League form: LLWDWW


Team News

Reece James and Ben Chilwell both made the starting lineup against Arsenal despite previous doubts over injuries, but the duo may be spared here with only 48 hours in between games.

Hakim Ziyech was ruled out of Boxing Day's defeat but could come back here, although the winger is unlikely to be thrown straight back into the starting lineup after his injury.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Emerson Palmieri, Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson-Odoi could all be in line for starts on Monday evening, while Olivier Giroud will also be hopeful of featuring from the off.

As for Villa, Mings will play no part in this one following his sending off on Boxing Day, meaning that Ezri Konsa is set for a recall to the starting lineup.

Ross Barkley did not make the squad against Palace despite returning to the training pitches after an injury, and the Chelsea loanee is ineligible to face his parent club on Monday.

Smith will not want to make too many alterations despite the quick turnaround in fixtures, but Neil Taylor and Marvelous Nakamba are both ready to be called upon.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Silva, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Havertz; Pulisic, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Hause, Taylor; Luiz, Nakamba; Traore, Grealish, El Ghazi; Watkins


We say: Chelsea 2-2 Aston Villa

Chelsea's confidence would have been rocked by the manner of their defeat to Arsenal, whereas Villa will head to the capital brimming with optimism after yet another dominant victory. Both teams only have 48 hours to recover from their respective Boxing Day fixtures, with plenty of rotation expected after a gruelling weekend, and we think a high-flying Villa should do enough to come away with a point.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 2.5:data



Video prediction

Watch the Sports Mole Football Shorts prediction for this game below:


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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1696137201733
2Manchester UnitedMan Utd159333123830
3Leicester CityLeicester169252920929
4Everton159242619729
5Aston Villa1482428141426
6Chelsea1675431181326
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1575326151126
8Manchester CityMan City147522112926
9Southampton167542519626
10West Ham UnitedWest Ham166552321223
11Leeds UnitedLeeds167273030023
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves166371521-621
13Arsenal166281619-320
14Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155461724-719
15Crystal Palace165472029-919
16Burnley15447920-1116
17Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton162771825-713
18Fulham152581323-1011
19West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom1615101135-248
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd160214827-192
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La Liga Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Atletico MadridAtletico1411212752235
2Real Madrid16103328151333
3Real Sociedad1675425121326
4Sevilla148241710726
5Villarreal166822016426
6Barcelona1574429151425
7Granada157351923-424
8Celta Vigo166552222023
9CadizCadiz165471120-919
10Real Betis166191930-1119
11Athletic Bilbao155371818018
12Levante154652021-118
13AlavesAlaves154561317-417
14Getafe154561216-417
15ElcheElche143741317-416
16EibarEibar163761216-416
17Valencia163672224-215
18Real Valladolid163671524-915
19Osasuna143381323-1012
20Huesca161961425-1112
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