FA Cup: Aston Villa vs Chelsea Live
Preview
Chelsea aims to correct their previous Premier League losses in the FA Cup as Aston Villa awaits them in the fourth-round replay on Wednesday at Villa Park, following a goalless draw in West London. The winner of this midweek match will have a home game against either Leeds United or Plymouth Argyle.
The unexciting draw with Chelsea in the capital was the second of three matches without a win for Unai Emery’s Aston Villa team. They had slightly fallen out of the Premier League title race before their game with Sheffield United, having only earned one point from matches against Everton and Newcastle United. However, they boosted their Champions League credentials with a convincing 5-0 victory at Bramall Lane. Emery’s team scored four goals in the first half-hour before Alex Moreno’s well-struck volley sealed the five-star performance.
Despite being in fourth place, Villa still have a five-point gap to close to the league leaders, but their manager, who has a history of winning in the Europa League, must now focus on achieving success in cup competitions. By defeating Middlesbrough in their first FA Cup match, Aston Villa achieved their best result in the tournament since 2015-16, having suffered seven consecutive third-round exits before the 2023-24 season. However, they have not progressed further than round four since reaching the final in 2014-15.
The blues, who also recently suffered a 4-0 loss in London, are now facing Aston Villa at Villa Park. Wolverhampton Wanderers had not achieved a league double over Chelsea since the 1974-75 season, but they broke that 49-year streak on Sunday with a victory. Mauricio Pochettino admitted that his job at Chelsea is not secure after their recent loss, and the team is currently in 11th place in the Premier League. The blues have struggled on the road, losing six of their last seven away matches. However, historical records show that Chelsea has won eight of their last nine FA Cup replays.
Head to head
Aston Villa has had greater success in their recent matches against Chelsea. The team has won three and drawn one of their last four meetings with Chelsea. Aston Villa also has a strong record when playing at home against the blues, winning 34, drawing 19, and losing only 23 of their previous 76 home encounters.
Prediction
Surprisingly, Aston Villa has lost their last five home games in the FA Cup. However, they have a good chance to break this streak against a vulnerable Chelsea team that struggles on the road. Although we expect Chelsea to avoid a scoreless game against Aston Villa, they are in danger of being overpowered by Emery’s strong attackers, potentially leading Aston Villa to the fifth round and increasing pressure on the struggling Pochettino.
