Chelsea v Aston Villa: Prediction, Tips and Odds

It's over a month since Aston Villa last enjoyed a win in any competition and that spells danger ahead of a Premier League showdown with an in-form Chelsea.

While the Villans struggle, the Blues continue to impress as they strive to return to the top four after a two-year absence.

Chelsea v Aston Villa betting tips and predictions

Draw/Chelsea - Half Time/Full Time - 4/1

Villa have won on each of their last two trips to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, but a treble may well be beyond them this weekend.

An Ollie Watkins goal after Chelsea had been reduced to ten men settled the deal last season, with Villa also winning 2-0 at the back end of the 2022/23 season.

Those campaigns were poor ones for the Londoners, however, whereas this season they look to have clicked and could well be shackling Villa at an opportune moment.

Both these clubs were involved in European football in the week.

Unai Emery sent out a strong side on Wednesday night to take on a depleted Juventus in the UEFA Champions League and were held to a dour 0-0 draw.

Twenty-four hours later Enzo Maresca sent out pretty much a reserve side at Heidenheim in the UEFA Conference League and was rewarded with a 2-0 win.

 Most of Maresca's stars, the likes of Levi Colwill, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and many more - had the night off and will go fresh on Sunday.

A majority of Villa's stars, in contrast, toiled against Juve in a team who have now gone seven matches without a win.

It's far too early to be contemplating a crisis, but there's a flatness about a side who are clearly struggling with the demands of playing in the UEFA Champions League while also trying to challenge at the top end of the Premier League.

The goals have dried up - they have failed to find the netin three of their last four - whereas Chelsea can't stop scoring.

Even if you disregard the eight they scored in the 8-0 UEFA Conference League slaughter of Noah, they have found the net in all but one of their 19 games since the 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City in August. They haven't lost at home since that game.

Villa boast the worst defensive away record of any top-half side and their midweek efforts could well work against them.

They have not won in their last three post-UEFA Champions League weekend assignments and it may pay to back them wilting at the Bridge, with the Draw/Chelsea - Half Time/Full Time bet at 4/1 making some appeal.

Nicolas Jackson to score first - 11/2

Villa are coming up against a potent Chelsea frontline featuring three men in Jackson, Palmer and Nono Madueke who have combined for 18 league goals.

Jackson has seven of those and continues to impress in leading the line, a role he has grown into in his season-and-a-bit in London.

The Senegal frontman is firing off 2.3 shots per game in a set-up where plenty of chances are being made and his first scorer record is superb.

Jackson has found the net first in five of the six matches in which he has scored this term, a record bettered only by Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood (6).

Take him to get Chelsea up and running with another game opener at 11/2.

Under 10.5 corners - 5/6

There have been over 10.5 corners in just 33 per cent of Chelsea's home games this season and the same percentage of Villa's away games.

Coming off the back of European midweeks, don't expect too many fireworks with corners probably over-rated at 10.5.

Over 5.5 cards - 8/11

Last season's two dust-ups between Chelsea and Villa in the Premier League produced a grand total of 14 cards, eight at Stamford Bridge and six at Villa Park.

This season the Blues are the undisputed bad boys of the top-flight with 45 cards amassed in just 12 matches. Take Southampton - who have 42 - out of the mix and no other side has collected more than 34.

And the first-team's antics are rubbing off on the rest of the squad given that Maresca's reshuffled side picked up six cards, including a red for Cesare Casadei, at Heidenheim on Thursday.

If it's now getting beyond just a statistical issue and is endemic, then the 8/11 there are six or more cards at the Bridge on Sunday makes obvious sense.

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Chelsea v Aston Villa odds

Chelsea - 7/10
Draw - 31/10
Aston Villa - 7/2

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.