Aston Villa are winless in five Premier League games, Chelsea have just three in their last ten. Both sides meet at Vill Park on Saturday, knowing a win would appease either sets of fans… for a little while at least.
By Alex Roberts
Unai Emery’s side were unlucky not to come away with all three points after the 2-2 draw with Liverpool in their previous fixture, but a point against the league leaders isn’t the end of the world.
Chelsea, on the other hand, were thoroughly battered by Brighton, it wasn’t even a contest. The Enzo Maresca love-in is officially over; Todd Boehly and co have proven to be just as trigger happy as the previous regime, defeat to Villa may well be the beginning of the end.
Move over Cole Palmer
Palmer isn’t the only Man City academy graduate balling out this season, his mate Morgan Rogers is in the form of his life. With 11 goals and six assists in his 35 games across all competitions, the versatile forward has become a key man for Emery.
The time last year, he was slogging it out at Middlesbrough, now he’s made his England debut and scoring hattricks in the Champions League. Confidence is flowing through his veins, and Chelsea will need to keep their eye on him.
Both Palmer and Rogers have remained friends since their academy days, but that changes when they step out on the pitch. The Chelsea man had the last laugh in the reverse fixture, but a lot has changed since then.
Academy lads can be scrutinised too
Look, every fan loves to see one of their own climbing up the ranks and becoming a first-team regular, but that doesn’t make them exempt from criticism. Levi Colwill has a bag full of potential, and he will doubtless have a fantastic career, but, right now, he’s struggling.
He was particularly poor against Brighton. His positioning was poor, he didn’t seem to communicate with Filip Jörgensen in goal particularly well, and he was arguably at fault for the second goal, although he has a pretty solid case for being fouled in the build-up.
It’s all stuff that comes with being 21, and as he grows both mentally and physically, he will only improve. Right now, he does seem a little flustered, and Maresca needs to put his arm around him.
Marcus Rashford is due a goal contribution
It’s still weird to see Rashford in anything other than a Man United shirt, but he seems like a new man at Villa, so far anyway. His freekick and subsequent Ollie Watkins goal helped salvage a point against Ipswich, but it didn’t count as an assist.
Rashford is without a goal/assist since the start of defender, although that’s mostly because Rúben Amorim didn’t fancy him. Ironically, he scored the first goal of his United tenure. Things change quickly in football, ey?
He has a decent record against Chelsea, scoring six goals and providing two assists in his 20 games against the West Londoners. We don’t know about you, but it feels like he might add to that here.
Where will the goals come from!?
Nicolas Jackson is injured for the foreseeable future, Palmer is having a bit of a drought, and Christopher Nkunku’s heart doesn’t appear to be in it. Chelsea are lacking fire power, and everyone knows it.
None of their other forward have ever been prolific. Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke have it in them, but the Portugal international is patchy at best, and the Englishman is a major doubt for this one.
Maresca will likely field the same attacking line-up he didn’t against Brighton, he doesn’t really have any other options. Let’s see if they click or are just as invisible as they were last time out.
Prediction
Both sides are struggling, in the league at least, but a decent draw against Liverpool should give Villa the mental edge. We’re going to go with a 2-0 win for the home side.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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