Paul Merson has sent Chelsea a clear warning before their Premier League match at Villa Park in GW29. He says that losing to Aston Villa on Wednesday could effectively end the Blues’ hopes of finishing in the top five. Chelsea are currently six points behind fourth-place Aston Villa in the standings. If they lose this game, they will fall nine points behind, which would ruin their chances of finishing in the top four.
The Blues are in sixth place in the Premier League right now, with 45 points from 28 games. They are three points behind Liverpool in fifth place (48 points) and six points behind Villa in fourth place (51 points). Liam Rosenior’s team can’t afford to make any more mistakes in a race that is getting tighter by the week, with only nine games left.
Merson said in his Sportskeeda column:
“If Chelsea can win at Villa Park, it’s game on in the race for top five. If they lose, it’s the end of it for them. Nine points behind Aston Villa with nine games to go? I think it is just too many to make up.”
Chelsea fans will find the math behind Merson’s assessment very easy to understand. Merson thinks that if Villa win this game, it will probably be enough for them to finish in the top five and qualify for the Champions League. Even if the Villans lose to Manchester United in their next game, they will still have at least six points more than Chelsea with eight games left.
Chelsea Have Limited Options in Attack
Pedro Neto’s suspension for a red card against Arsenal has made things harder for Chelsea, and Estevao is also out with an injury, which means Rosenior doesn’t have many wide attacking options. Merson is hesitant to use Cole Palmer in any role other than his preferred central one, but Alejandro Garnacho is expected to fill in.
Aston Villa, who are tied for fourth place with Manchester United on 51 points, have their own strong reasons to win this game. Merson says that winning this game would go a long way toward making sure they play in the Champions League next season. Merson thinks the Blues will win 2-1, and Chris Sutton of BBC Sport agrees, saying Chelsea will get three important points at Villa Park.
For Chelsea, Wednesday night is a make-or-break moment for their season. The outcome will decide whether their dream of playing in Europe stays alive or quietly fades away into the Midlands night.