CHELSEA are set for another intense cup clash shortly after punching their ticket to the Carabao Cup Final.
Now the Blues are gearing up for Friday’s fourth-round FA Cup tie against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
The West Londoners enjoyed a much-needed boost on Tuesday after an emphatic 6-1 victory over Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup semi-finals at home.
Mauricio Pochettino’s strugglers are undergoing a turbulent campaign that has seen them tumble to ninth place but will still have the chance of winning a trophy at Wembley on February 25.
Villa, on the other hand, are fourth in the Premier League table and will like their chances against Chelsea amid a successful run in the English top flight and the Europa Conference League.
The Villans haven’t won a piece of silverware since the League Cup in 1996 but hope their barren run will come to an end amid a stunning campaign under manager Unai Emery.
Team News
Chelsea will be back in action less than 72 hours after their victory over Middlesbrough but manager Mauricio Pochettino isn’t dealing with any fresh injury concerns amid his injury crisis.
However, Christopher Nkunku (hip), Lesley Ugochukwu (hamstring), Marc Cucurella (ankle), Robert Sanchez (knee), Wesley Fofana (ACL), Romeo Lavia (thigh) and Reece James (thigh) are still sidelined.
Nicolas Jackson is also still on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Senegal.
But Malo Gusto may be back in action after missing the Carabao Cup semi-final due to a knock.
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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, on the other hand, will be without Emi Buendia and Tyrone Mings who are still dealing with a knee injury.
Lucas Digne is also still nursing a thigh issue that should keep him out of contention, while Bertrand Traore has linked up with Burkina Faso at Afcon.
However, Pau Torres, Jacob Ramsey and Robin Olsen could return to Emery’s squad.
What is their form like?
Chelsea made it to the fourth round after dumping out Preston with a comfortable 4-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
And of course the Blues made it to the Carabao Cup Final after another triumph over Middlesbrough.
The West Londoners have been on a roll despite this season’s woes as they won three out of four of their last games across all competitions, losing once to Boro at the Riverside Stadium.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, made it to the Round of 32 in the competition with a 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough.
After winning a record 15 consecutive matches at home against Arsenal, Villa’s run came to an end against Sheffield United last month with a 1-1 draw.
However, Unai Emery’s men have still won three out of seven matches that followed after the victory over the Gunners, but lost once to Manchester United.
Ones to watch
Chelsea star Cole Palmer is making the most of his increased opportunities at Stamford Bridge after leaving Manchester City in the summer.
Palmer has amassed a staggering seven goals and three assists in his last 10 matches across all competitions.
However, the Blues will have to keep an eye on Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins who’s been in red-hot form this season.
Watkins has registered a whopping total of 14 goals and 10 assists in 29 appearances.
What has been said?
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino insists “people need to believe” in his players after they reached the Carabao Cup Final.
Pochettino told Sky Sports: “Sometimes we can think about the history of Chelsea and the missing players. We are young and we need to grow. These types of games are a good experience for young players and it is about now growing and it will help us to compete.
“We are building a very good team. The mentality is good. We have plenty but we need time. It is a new project. We are building a team and sometimes it is normal to play worse.
“We played well and we didn’t win but now it will be a big boost for us. People need to believe and trust in us and we go to the final with the chance of winning the first trophy of the season.”
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, on the other hand, will be expecting more from his players after a drab 0-0 draw at Everton.
Emery told Sky Sports: “We are frustrated because we had chances to score, but football is like that. You can control the game as you want but it’s not enough sometimes and today was not enough.
“We are not happy with one point only, we are happy because this is the way and we increased our level before playing like that. We played a good personality today.
“I am happy because we are getting stronger in our ideal style and feeling comfortable and confident in playing in the way we are continually creating. The point is not enough, we have to accept it.
“But how we play, how we worked and how we showed our capacity on the pitch, this is the way. Now we get some rest days, we deserve. It. But I want to show and transmit to the players, this is the way.”
When is Chelsea vs Aston Villa?
- Chelsea’s clash with Aston Villa will take place on Friday, January 26.
- The game will be played at Stamford Bridge.
- Chelsea vs Aston Villa will kick off at 7.45pm GMT.
Is Chelsea vs Aston Villa on TV?
- Unfortunately, Chelsea’s clash with Aston Villa hasn’t been selected for TV despite the Friday night fixture.
- Tottenham’s clash with Manchester City will be shown on terrestrial TV instead.
Team news
Chelsea have an extensive injury list which includes Christopher Nkunku, Lesley Ugochukwu, Marc Cucurealla and Romelo Lavia.
Reece James and Wesley Fofana are also both still out of action with knee and hamstring injuries respectively.
One positive for Chelsea is the return of Ben Chilwell, who was brilliant in the Blues’ 6-1 win over Middlesbrough.
Emilio Buendía and Tyrone Minos continue to recover from their ACL injuries, while Lucas Digne is also still out.
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Odds
- Chelsea – 11/10
- Draw – 12/5
- Villa – 23/10
- Both teams to score YES – 3/5
*Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes and correct at time of publication.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
