Chelsea vs Aston Villa preview, prediction, team news and head-to-head

Both sides have established themselves as European contenders this season, and with a significant gap starting to open both teams will be looking to get a win heading to the new year.

Chelsea is heading into the post-Christmas period clinging to fourth place and will be desperate to avoid any "hangover" as the battle for Champions League spots heats up. 

Inconsistency over the last five rounds has made their position less comfortable, though their most recent win did come at home.

Improving their form at Stamford Bridge is crucial for Chelsea's top-four aspirations, as manager Maresca risks exceeding the two home league defeats from his entire first full season.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa arrives in the capital on the verge of making history. Having secured ten consecutive competitive victories, Unai Emery’s team is just one win away from matching the club record of 11. 

To achieve this, however, Villa might need to improve their starts away from home. While they have conceded first in the opening ten minutes in four of their last five league trips, their ability to fight back and win each time proves they are a side that cannot be underestimated.

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Across the last five encounters, Chelsea have won two, Aston Villa have won one, and two matches have ended in draws. 

The most recent league meeting in February 2025 ended in a 2-1 victory for Aston Villa. However, Chelsea recorded a convincing 3-0 win in the reverse fixture back in December 2024.

Across the five league matches since Unai Emery took charge of Villa, the Blues' 3-0 victory last season stands as their only win in this EPL fixture.

Chelsea are set to travel with a depleted squad, as Enzo Maresca must again cope without several important first-team players. 

Levi Colwill remains sidelined through injury, while Young midfielder Dario Essugo is still recovering from a fitness setback and Romeo Lavia continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines as he works his way back from injury. 

Aston Villa also have a number of key absentees to contend with ahead of this fixture. Evann Guessand is away on international duty, while Harvey Elliott is ruled out through injury.

Defensive options remain thin, with both Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings still injured and Ross Barkley also unavailable as he continues rehabilitation from his latest setback.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sánchez – Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella – James, Caicedo – Pedro Neto, Palmer, Garnacho – João Pedro.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martínez – Cash, Konsa, Lindelöf, Maatsen – Kamara, Onana – McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers – Watkins.

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With Chelsea proving difficult to beat at Stamford Bridge and Aston Villa arriving on a 10-match winning streak, this is one of the hardest games of the season to call. 

Because Villa are missing key defensive personnel like Pau Torres, Chelsea will be expected to find the net. 

However, the momentum of the visitors cannot be ignored. A draw appears to be the most possible outcome for this game.