The Matchday 18 Premier League fixture between Chelsea and Aston Villa will take place on December 27 at Stamford Bridge in London. Chelsea vs Aston Villa: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Chelsea
Chelsea drew 2-2 away at Newcastle in the last round. Unusually, the club trailed 0-2 at half-time. Over their previous eight Premier League matches the side have suffered just one defeat, registering four wins and three draws. Enzo Maresca's team sit fourth but are already ten points adrift of the leaders. It's also worth noting Chelsea have the third-best defence in the division, having conceded only 17 goals.
- Exactly two or three goals were scored in five of Chelsea's last home Premier League matches.
- The club are unbeaten in 16 of their last 18 home Premier League matches (12 wins and 4 draws).
- Chelsea have conceded just one first-half goal in their previous 11 home league games.
Approximate Chelsea starting XI (4-5-1)*
Robert Sanchez – Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella – Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho – Joao Pedro.
Defender Levi Colwill and midfielders Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia will miss the game through injury. Head coach Enzo Maresca will be absent from the bench due to yellow card accumulation. Strikers Liam Delap and Estevao are doubtful for the match.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery's side beat Manchester United 2-1 at home in the last round. That victory was their seventh consecutive league win, consolidating third place and leaving them just three points behind leaders Arsenal. Including Europa League fixtures, the club are on a 10-game winning run — a run Villa have not enjoyed since 1914. It's also notable that Villa have scored at least twice in six of their last seven Premier League matches.
- The team have won 11 of their last 12 league matches (1 defeat).
- At least three goals were scored in six of Aston Villa's last seven Premier League fixtures.
- Away from home, the Birminghams have suffered just one defeat in their last seven Premier League games (4 wins and 2 draws).
Approximate Aston Villa starting XI (4-5-1)*
Emiliano Martinez – Ezri Konsa, Ian Maatsen, Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof – Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans – Ollie Watkins.
Defenders Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings, and midfielder Ross Barkley, are out through injury.
Referee
Stuart Attwell (England)
Matches – 11 (Premier League, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 51;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.6;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 36%.
Match prediction — Chelsea vs Aston Villa
This central fixture in Matchday 18 will be contested at Stamford Bridge. Both sides are among the league's elite, so the margin for error is small: a dropped point for the hosts could see them slip out of Champions League contention, while a slip for the visitors would increase the gap to the two leaders. I expect an entertaining, high-scoring encounter given both teams are in strong form and scoring freely.
Chelsea have a seven-game scoring run at home in the Premier League, but they also conceded in four of their last six home league matches. Aston Villa have scored at least twice in each of their last three away league matches, though they have conceded in six of their previous away Premier League fixtures. Additionally, three or more goals have been scored in nine of the last 13 league meetings between these sides at this stadium.
My prediction – Total over 2.5
* Each team's starting XI is shown from their previous match in this competition.
