Unai Emery has a few selection dilemmas for the Premier League clash against Chelsea
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins(Image: Simon Dael/Shutterstock)
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Aston Villa head to Stamford Bridge on Saturday in search of their 11th successive victory.
Chelsea, who currently sit fourth, come into the game seven points behind Villa in the table after failing to beat Newcastle United last weekend, while Villa defeated Manchester United.
Unai Emery’s side have won their last seven league matches. The last time they enjoyed a longer top-flight winning run was between October and December 1910, when they recorded nine straight victories.
Villa have also won three of their five Premier League games against Chelsea under Emery - as many as they had managed in their previous 20 meetings with the Blues before the Spaniard’s arrival.
Emi Martinez returned to the starting XI for Villa against Manchester United and is expected to keep his place this weekend. He is likely to start behind a back four of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Victor Lindelof and Lucas Digne.
Although Ian Maatsen has started Villa’s last four league games, Emery may already be looking ahead to the trip to Arsenal next Tuesday, with the Dutchman potentially rotated in for that match.
Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings are due back soon, but this game could come too quickly for both players.
Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana are expected to operate in the double pivot, with Youri Tielemans playing further forward. John McGinn and Morgan Rogers should once again support the striker, who will most likely be Ollie Watkins.
Donyell Malen could also be considered for a start in one of the next two matches, given the short turnaround between the trips to Chelsea and Arsenal.
Watkins has recently been dealing with a small knee pain so he may not start both games, though Emery will be hopeful that he can.
Predicted Aston Villa XI vs Chelsea: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Digne; Kamara, Onana; McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers; Watkins.
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