A pivotal clash at the top of the Premier League table takes place at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, as Chelsea aim to halt Aston Villa’s relentless title charge.
Unai Emery’s visitors arrive in West London in imperious form, having won their last 10 matches in all competitions—a run that has catapulted them into third place, just three points behind league leaders Arsenal. Victory could see the Villans equal an all-time club record of 11 consecutive wins.
They face a Chelsea side currently seven points adrift of them in fourth, who have stuttered recently with just one win in their last four league outings. While Enzo Maresca’s men showed resilience to fight back for a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United last time out, a defeat here could leave them vulnerable to the chasing pack in the race for Champions League qualification.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Saturday, 27 December 2025
- Kick-off: 17:30 GMT
- Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
- Referee: Stuart Attwell
- VAR: Paul Howard
- Last Meeting: Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea, 22 February 2025, Premier League
Team News
Chelsea
Enzo Maresca confirmed a fresh defensive blow today, as young defender Jorrel Hato has been ruled out after sustaining an injury during the warm-up against Newcastle. However, the Blues are boosted by the return of Jamie Gittens, who has recovered from a minor shoulder problem. Liam Delap and Estêvão Willian are also back in contention. Aside from Levi Colwill, Dário Essugo, and Roméo Lavia, the squad is largely fit. Enzo Fernández, who leads the team in chances created (24), is expected to start in an advanced role.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery is without winger Evann Guessand, who has departed to join the Ivory Coast squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. On a positive note, Jadon Sancho is expected to return to the squad after being ineligible to face his parent club, Manchester United. Defensive stalwarts Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres remain sidelined, as does midfielder Ross Barkley. Harvey Elliott remains a doubt due to illness. Morgan Rogers, who has four goals in his last two games, will lead the support for Ollie Watkins.
Form
Chelsea
The Blues have shown some vulnerability at Stamford Bridge this season, already losing home league games to Brighton and Sunderland. Furthermore, their top scorers Pedro Neto and João Pedro have just five goals each, highlighting a lack of a prolific clinical edge. However, recent clean sheets in home wins over Wolves and Everton suggest the defensive structure is improving under Maresca.
Aston Villa
Villa are currently the most efficient team in the country, having won 11 of their last 12 Premier League games. Notably, under Unai Emery, they have won 12 of their 21 away games against London sides, a vast improvement on their historic struggles in the capital. Morgan Rogers is in world-class form, with 10 direct goal involvements (7 goals, 3 assists) this season—more than any other English player in the division.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea predicted XI: Sánchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernández, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; João Pedro
Aston Villa predicted XI: Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Lindelöf, Maatsen; Kamara, Onana; McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers; Watkins
How to watch Chelsea vs Aston Villa?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 17:00 GMT.
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