"Four gameweeks later, the picture looks very different. The Blues have collected only five points from a possible 12, leaving them seven behind Villa, eight behind City, and a daunting 10 points off Arsenal. This slide stems from a dip in form, with Chelsea winning only one of their last four league matches-a 2-0 success over Everton-after previously stringing together three consecutive victories before that draw with the Gunners."
"There was some resilience on display last time out, as Maresca's side fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United. However, they remain winless in their last three away league fixtures. Returning to Stamford Bridge should offer comfort: Chelsea have taken seven points from their last three home games, including clean-sheet wins over Wolves (3-0) and Everton (2-0)."
"Still, defeats to Brighton and Sunderland earlier in the season underline their vulnerability at home-a weakness Villa will look to exploit. A loss here could see Chelsea slip out of the top four, with Liverpool level on 29 points and Sunderland just two points behind in sixth. Liam Delap and Estevao Willian return to contention, leaving Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia, and long-term absentee Levi Colwill as the only injury concerns."
Aston Villa arrive at Stamford Bridge on a 10-match winning run, seven points clear of Chelsea. Chelsea have slipped from third to trailing Villa after collecting only five points from the last four league matches, with a single win against Everton during that run. The team showed resilience by recovering to draw 2-2 at Newcastle but remain winless in their last three away league fixtures. Home form offers encouragement with seven points from the last three matches, including clean sheets versus Wolves and Everton, though earlier home defeats reveal vulnerabilities. A loss could drop Chelsea out of the top four. Liam Delap and Estevao Willian are fit; Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia and Levi Colwill remain doubts.
Read at Soccer News
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]