English Premier League: Preview of the "Chelsea" vs "Aston Villa" match

The English Premier League (EPL) football calendar enters the Christmas rhythm.

According to İdman.Biz, the 18th round will be spread over three days and will include several matches that directly affect the top of the league table, including a head-to-head clash between contenders from the top four.

The fight for the lead is extremely tight at the start of the round: "Arsenal" is in first place with 39 points, "Manchester City" is two points behind (37), and "Aston Villa" is one step behind (36). "Chelsea" is fourth with 29 points, equal to "Manchester United" and "Liverpool." Therefore, any loss of points can immediately change the situation.

"Chelsea" – "Aston Villa" (December 27)

The central match of the round will be held at "Stamford Bridge" stadium and will start at 21:30 British time. "Aston Villa" enters the match in third place and is one step above the Londoners, ahead of "Chelsea" by 7 points.

The main news for the home side is that Entso Maresca has confirmed that Estevao Willian and Liam Delap are ready: both players have returned to training and can be involved in the game. Cole Palmer's condition is also in focus. The head coach said that the midfielder is fully ready to play 90 minutes on the field if necessary.

However, Maresca himself will not be able to manage the team from the sidelines due to a disqualification he received for accumulating warnings. The issue of discipline remains relevant for "Chelsea" throughout the season: the team has already received 7 red cards. The list of injured players at the London club includes Romeo Lavia, Levi Colwill, and Dario Essuqu. "Aston Villa" includes Tyrone Mings, Ross Barkley, and Pau Torres.

"Aston Villa" enters the decisive stage of the season in excellent form. The team has won 10 consecutive victories in all tournaments. The upcoming matches against "Chelsea" and "Arsenal" are considered the most important tests in the championship race.

Other matches of the 18th round of the EPL

December 26

"Manchester United" – "Newcastle" 1:0

December 27

"Nottingham Forest" – "Manchester City"

"Arsenal" – "Brighton"

"Brentford" – "Bournemouth"

"Burnley" – "Everton"

"Liverpool" – "Wolverhampton"

"West Ham" – "Fulham"

December 28

"Sunderland" – "Leeds"