The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a dominant 6-1 win over Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, while the Lions were held to a goalless Premier League-draw by Everton less than two weeks ago.
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Two Premier League sides will go head-to-head in a FA Cup fourth round fixture on Friday as Chelsea play host to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a dominant 6-1 win over Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, while the Lions were held to a goalless Premier League-draw by Everton less than two weeks ago. Meanwhile, the previous meeting between these two sides was back in September last year in the English top flight, where Villa secured a narrow 1-0 win thanks to Ollie Watkins’ 73rd-minute effort.
Memories from Stamford Bridge. 🚀
🏴 @JMcGinn7 pic.twitter.com/r6Qw8Ug6hT
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 25, 2024
After a dismal start to the 2023/24 campaign that saw Chelsea struggle in the middle of the Premier League table, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have now turned their fortunes, and the Argentine tactician is just 90 minutes away from securing his first major title with the Blues. The London club produced an emphatic comeback to end Middlesbrough’s magical run in the EFL Cup semi-finals. After losing the first leg 1-0 at Riverside Stadium, Pochettino’s men came out all guns blazing in the home-leg, scoring six goals thanks to Cole Palmer’s brace, Jonny Howson’s own goal and one effort each from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Noni Mandueka. The Blues have now won five of their last six outings in all competitions, scoring 15 goals and conceding just six in the process.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, coincindentally overcame Middlesbrough in their FA Cup round three tie on January 6, courtesy of Matty Cash’s lone goal three minutes from time. A week later, Unai Emery’s men were held to a 0-0 draw by Everton in the Premier League, despite having close 70% possession and attempting 16 shots with five of them on target at Goodison Park. Nevertheless, the Lions are are still occupying fourth spot in the English top flight standings, having collected 43 points from 21 games, just five adrift of the summit. Meanwhile, Villa have lost only one of their last ten outings in all competitions, recording five wins and keeping four clean sheets in the period.
Chelsea probable starting lineup: Petrovic, Disasi, Badiashile, Silva, Colwill, Caicedo, Fernandez, Madueke, Gallagher, Palmer, Broja
Aston Villa probable starting lineup: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Moreno, Bailey, Luiz, Kamara, McGinn, Watkins, Diaby
Chelsea
| Opponents | Score |
| Middlesbrough | 6-1 (W) |
| Fulham | 1-0 (W) |
| Middlesbrough | 1-0 (L) |
| Preston | 4-0 (W) |
| Luton | 2-3 (W) |
Aston Villa
| Opponents | Score |
| Everton | 0-0 (D) |
| Middlesbrough | 0-1 (W) |
| Burnley | 3-2 (W) |
| Manchester United | 3-2 (L) |
| Sheffield United | 1-1 (D) |
| Last 5 match-results | Score |
| Aston Villa beat Chelsea | 0-1 |
| Aston Villa beat Chelsea | 0-2 |
| Aston Villa beat Chelsea | 0-1 |
| Chelsea beat Aston Villa | 0-2 |
| Chelsea beat Aston Villa | 1-3 |
The FA Cup fixture between Chelsea and Aston Villa will take place at Stamford Bridge on Saturday at 1:15 am IST.
| Chelsea vs Aston Villa | Key Details |
| Date | January 26 (UK) |
| Venue | Stamford Bridge |
| Kickoff time in UK | 7:45 pm (friday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 1:15 am (Saturday) |
The live telecast of the FA Cup matches in India will be available on Sony Sports network. Besides, football fans in India can also live stream the game through Sony LIV. Meanwhile, those in UK can watch the match on Talksport 2 Radio UK and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.
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