Chelsea are looking to make up ground on Aston Villa in the Premier League standings, and Saturday’s clash at Stamford Bridge provides the perfect opportunity.
Villa are the form team in English football right now, turning around a horror start to the season and soaring to third in the standings.
Enzo Maresca has some big calls to make, but his squad has had a week of rest and most should be fresh and ready to go.
Chelsea’s clash with Villa is huge and is sure to have long-lasting implications as we head into the second half of the season. Here’s how The Chelsea Chronicle see him lining up.
Enzo Maresca and Unai Emery
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Chelsea’s back line should remain consistent
One thing that has improved drastically since the opening weeks of the season has been the defensive solidity of Maresca’s side. The centre-backs are nailed on, but we expect one change at full-back.
Robert Sanchez will start between the sticks, and Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella should all retain their spots from Newcastle.
Malo Gusto played right-back last week with James in midfield, but long-time transfer target Morgan Rogers is Villa’s biggest threat, and the physical presence of the Chelsea captain feels like the better choice to match up against him.
Two of England’s brightest young stars going head-to-head 🙌
Thoughts on Morgan Rogers this season?
Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer during Chelsea vs Aston Villa
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Enzo Maresca should go all guns blazing in midfield and attack
With James dropping back into the defence, Enzo Fernandez can break back into the side. Alongside him, Moises Caicedo is a no-brainer, especially after serving a three-game ban earlier this month.
Cole Palmer’s Newcastle performance was disappointing, but Maresca has said he is ready to play 90 minutes. Getting him back on top form will be crucial for the second half of the season, so he should be thrown into the lineup again.
Maresca said Estevao Willian is available, and despite missing time with injury, he should be trusted for this all-important clash. The Blues can’t afford to leave anything on the table.
Pedro Neto gets in on the left to hopefully continue his staggering form this season, and Joao Pedro starts again up top despite Liam Delap being available.
Our lineup prediction for Chelsea’s clash with Aston Villa 👉
What changes would you make?
Predicted Chelsea XI vs Aston Villa
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
This is arguably Maresca’s best XI on paper, perfect for one of the biggest games of the season so far.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox