Premier League high-flyers Chelsea will be hoping to make it two wins on the trot in the league when they travel down to the Midlands to take on relegation threatened Aston Villa on Saturday. The Blues’ most recent league success came last weekend when they obliterated the challenge put forth by Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton side. Lampard’s men were at their free-flowing best going forward but also showed excellent sturdiness at the back.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, lost their weekend clash against Leicester City by an identical 4-0 scoreline and will be hoping to at least steal a point at home against the reigning Europa League champions. Although this could prove to be a difficult task for the Villans, a quick look at Chelsea’s results from the earlier parts of the campaign would come as the perfect motivation.
Team News
Frank Lampard is currently going through his worst phase as the manager of Chelsea, in terms of injuries. The Blues have a plethora of first-team stars unavailable for selection, with key names like N’Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic out of contention. Mateo Kovacic, Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi are also sidelined with separate issues, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is gradually returning from his injury.
Predicted 4-3-3 Chelsea Lineup Vs Aston Villa
Formation: 4-3-3
Defence
Kepa Arrizabalaga started in the Blues’ 4-0 win over Everton last weekend and is hence expected to keep his place between the sticks, ahead of Argentine veteran Willy Caballero for this tie. The Spaniard was dropped by Lampard after some questionable displays midway through the season, but he came back superbly against the Toffees. Antonio Rudiger and Kurt Zouma are set to keep their place as the two centre-halves, while Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso should be deployed at full-back positions.
Midfield
The Blues opted for a slightly untraditional three-man midfield line the last time around and could end up playing the same trio of players again this time. While the seemingly endless injury list does have a part to play, Lampard has been fortunate enough to be blessed with a fairly deep squad. Billy Gilmour could start as the holding midfielder, with Ross Barkley and Mason Mount operating just a little bit in front of the Scottish teenager.
Attack
Olivier Giroud has burst back into the first-team scene at Stamford Bridge over the last month, and with good reason. He’s been showcasing excellent desire and commitment towards the cause, while the Frenchman’s finishing and heading abilities need no introduction. The veteran striker could be supported from either side by experienced wingers Pedro and Willian during this fixture.
