After their goalless draw in the first meeting, Aston Villa and Chelsea face off again at Villa Park in the FA Cup on Wednesday, both teams needing a win to escape their recent struggles. Kickoff is at 8 PM UTC, and the atmosphere promises to be tense, with a mix of pressure and hope hanging heavy in the air.
Aston Villa, on the heels of a 3-1 defeat to Newcastle in the Premier League, desperately need a positive result to boost their spirits.
Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia will be key to unlocking Chelsea's defense, and the home crowd will be their passionate 12th man, urging them to avoid an FA Cup upset.
Chelsea, reeling from consecutive Premier League defeats against Liverpool and Wolves, are in dire need of a win to restore some confidence.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be relying on veterans like Thiago Silva and Mason Mount to lead the charge, while the prospect of facing either Leeds or Plymouth in the next round adds extra incentive.
Possible Prediction line-ups
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Carlos, Lenglet, Moreno; McGinn, Kamara, Luiz, Bailey; Diaby, Watkins
Chelsea: Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Badiashile, Chilwell; Chukwuemeka, Fernandez; Palmer, Nkunku, Mudryk; Jackson
Event details
NAME: Aston Villa - Chelsea
DATE: 7 Feb 2024
TIME: 20:00 UTC
VENUE: Villa Park, Birmingham, England