Aston Villa continue their top-four push against Chelsea at Villa Park.
Villa will stay fourth regardless of the result although victory would put them nine points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham.
Chelsea meanwhile can go eighth with a win if West Ham fail to win in the lunchtime kick-off.
Team News
Douglas Luiz is set to return for Villa after he missed their last two domestic matches due to suspension.
Nicolo Zaniolo (muscle), Alex Moreno (calf), Jacob Ramsey (foot), Tyrone Mings, Boubacar Kamara (both knee) and Emiliano Buendia (ACL) remain on the side-lines.
Chelsea will be without Enzo Fernandez for the rest of season after he needed surgery on a groin injury.
Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell are both sidelined with knee injuries but Cole Palmer (illness) could return.
Robert Sanchez (illness), Levi Colwill (toe), Reece James, Lesley Ugochukwu, Christopher Nkunku (all hamstring), Wesley Fofana (ACL) and Romeo Lavia (thigh) remain ruled out.
When is Kick-Off?
Villa host Chelsea at Villa Park on Saturday 27 April at 8pm BST, live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Villa have won two of their last five league meetings against Chelsea (W2, L3).
- Chelsea have won five of their last six league visits to Villa (W5, L1).
- Since Unai Emery took charge of Villa, his Villains have kept clean sheets in both league meetings against Chelsea (W2).
- Villa have failed to score in just one league match at home this season.
- Just five of Cole Palmer’s 20 league goals for Chelsea this season have been scored away from home.
Prediction
With the advantage of playing before Tottenham this weekend, Villa know that this is a huge chance to put Spurs under pressure in that top-four battle especially if they play with the same quality which saw off Bournemouth but without any silly fouling.
Chelsea meanwhile need to buckle up their ideas because they were just thrashed by Arsenal with toothless marking and lacklustre attacking, which showed just how pivotal Palmer has been to their season otherwise they looked like a team fit for a relegation scrap rather than top-ten fight.
Fernandez though is a huge loss in the Blues’ midfield so hopefully Palmer is back because if he isn’t, I don’t fancy Chelsea’s chances against a well-drilled team who know how to fight as a collective rather than a lethargic mess.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea
Result: Aston Villa 2-2 Chelsea
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