Aston Villa come into this match in inconsistent form. They have won two of their last five games, drawn one, and lost two. One of those wins was away from home, but they have also lost twice in that run, including a heavy 4-2 defeat. Chelsea are struggling more. They have lost three of their last five away games, drawn one, and won only once. That recent run shows they are finding it hard to get results on the road.

When these two teams have met before, the matches have often been high-scoring. The last two meetings both ended 2-1 and 1-2, with one win for each side. Looking further back, several of their recent clashes have had three or four goals. Given Chelsea’s poor recent form and Villa’s mixed results, this game looks like it could be an open contest with goals at both ends. While Chelsea have been strong against Villa in the past, their current struggles suggest Aston Villa have a good chance to win this one.