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Former Chelsea forward Chris Sutton has predicted that Aston Villa will make the most of the Blues' woes and defeat them in their Premier League clash on April 27.
Villa have always been a side brewing with confidence and the world has seen their resurgence under gaffer Unai Emery.
Chelsea and Aston Villa faced each other in February, during the fourth round of the FA Cup in which Mauricio Pochettino's men emerged victorious.
However, the Blues are currently low on fuel, having lost the semifinal of the FA Cup and a rather harrowing 0-5 defeat at the hands of Arsenal in the Premier League.
Sutton stated that while he's expecting the Blues to bounce back from consecutive losses, the Villans might still be "too good" for them. He predicted that Villa will defeat Chelsea 2-1, adding (via BBC Sport):
"I just don't understand how Chelsea can go from pushing Manchester City close in three games this season to the inept level of performance we saw from them against Arsenal on Tuesday. Chelsea won at Villa Park in the FA Cup in February, and I am actually expecting a response from them - but Aston Villa will still be too good for them."
The former Aston Villa player said that the West London club should stick with the Argentine gaffer for now, and give him some more time to get his house in order. On the flip side, another walloping may turn the odds against him, he added.
Aston Villa eyeing a Champions League spot while Chelsea are hoping to move up the table
Unai Emery has caused a ripple ever since he took over in 2022. At the time of his arrival, The Lions occupied the 17th spot, but he took the club to a seventh-place finish, pressing the club into European qualification for the first time since 2010.
The Spaniard has led Villa to the semi-final of a European competition for the first time in 42 years as they currently look in pole position to defeat Olympiacos in the semi-final of the Europa Conference League.
The former Arsenal gaffer also recently signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2027. Aston Villa are eyeing a Champions League spot as they're currently fourth on the Premier League table after having played 34 games. They've played two games extra compared to Tottenham Hotspur, who are also fighting for a Champions League spot.
Chelsea, on the other hand, failed to move up the ladder following a hammering at the Emirates on April 23, Tuesday. Pochettino's men will be trophyless for the second consecutive season and what's worse is that the 2021 UEFA Champions League winners are miles away from a spot in the European competition.
They currently occupy the ninth spot on the Premier League table after having played 32 games. However, the Blues will be hoping to catapult from their recent run-of-the-mill performances and finish the campaign on a positive note.
