Chelsea appears weak and out of sorts. Mauricio Pochettino's club is obviously having trouble after losing badly to Arsenal 5-0 and an embarrassing FA Cup semi-final loss. Chelsea has conceded a Premier League record 57 goals this season, demonstrating its defensive shortcomings.
It is concerning because they have lost 13 straight away league games without a clean sheet. Chelsea has a strong record at Villa Park, having won six of their previous seven games there, including a recent FA Cup triumph, so there may be hope for a comeback.
Chelsea will need to strengthen their defensive weaknesses and come together as a unit if they are to recover from their recent bad performance. Their encounter with Aston Villa might offer them a chance to salvage their season and return to winning ways.
With a Premier League comeback victory over Bournemouth and the signing of manager Unai Emery's contract extension, Aston Villa has been winning lately. Even though they have played more games than Tottenham, Aston Villa wants to consolidate their position by pulling ahead of them by nine points in order to secure a top-four finish.