Chelsea vs Aston Villa
FA Cup
4th round
Friday
26th January 2024
Stamford Bridge
The most comprehensive preview, detailed analysis and reliable predictions of the FA cup 4th round fixture between Chelsea and Aston Villa.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Preview
Chelsea form analysis
The Blues returned to winning ways with a crucial 1-0 London derby victory over Fulham in their latest Premier League outing. The win ended a concerning run of just one victory in seven top-flight matches that has left the manager under growing pressure. Struggling for goals during this poor run, Chelsea were indebted to midfielder Conor Gallagher’s first half penalty for a slice of fortune against the obdurate Cottagers.
But Chelsea were solid defensively on the night, keeping just a fourth clean sheet of the league season. Tightening up at the back and grinding out victories must now be the priority after an inconsistent first half of Pochettino’s tenure. With big-money signings Mykhaylo Mudryk and Benoit Badiashile still bedding in, rediscovering the attacking verve of this season is also imperative if underperforming Chelsea are to salvage their faltering campaign.
Aston Villa form analysis
Aston Villa have shown some mixed results in their recent matches. They began with a narrow 2-1 defeat away to Brentford, taking an early lead but conceding twice in the last 15 minutes. They then earned a hard fought 1-1 draw at home to Sheffield United, with their equalizer coming very late in the 87th minute through Archer. Next was a thrilling 3-2 victory over Manchester United at home, where they led 2-0 but had to fight back from 2-1 down to win it late.
Their most recent home match was another entertaining 3-2 victory, this time over Burnley, where they twice came from behind to lead before holding on for the win. Their most recent match was a 0-0 draw on the road against Everton, sharing the points in a close match without many clear chances for either side. In summary, while results have been up and down, Aston Villa have shown strong character to battle back multiple times from losing positions as well as grit and determination to earn positive results even when not at their best. Their form continues to be inconsistent but their spirit and resilience has helped earn points.
