Aston Villa and Chelsea come into this game needing a win to keep their hopes of a top-five finish and possible UCL qualification alive. 

A midweek trip to Villa Park is up next. pic.twitter.com/8Tui14oRtH

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 2, 2026

Aston Villa have just one win in their last three games, which has seen them slide down from third to fourth in the Premier League table, with Manchester United overtaking them. 

It’s almost a similar case for Chelsea, who haven’t won any of their last three games with two draws and one loss. The Blues are now three points behind Liverpool in fifth place and six points behind Aston Villa in fourth place.

For both teams, this tie is a must-win. Villa have already beaten Chelsea earlier this season and will be looking to do the league double over the Blues.

Team News

With Boubacar Kamara out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, Youri Tielemans continues to be a big miss in midfield for Villa, and it looks as though Wednesday’s match will come too soon for the Belgian.

The same can be said for Harvey Elliott, who has not made an appearance for the club in over a month, while Andres Garcia’s recent setback is likely to keep him out for another six weeks.

For Chelsea, Fofana is returning from a red card suspension, while Neto will be missing due to a red card suspension from the Arsenal game. Rosenior also said Cucurella could be in action, while Estevao is also nearing a return, but the Villa clash may be too close.

Aston Villa vs Chelsea Predicted XI

Aston Villa Predicted XI

Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Luiz, Onana; Buendia, Rogers, Sancho; Abraham

Chelsea Predicted XI

Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Fofana, Hato; Caicedo, Santos; Palmer, Fernandez, Garnacho; Pedro