Chelsea vs Aston Villa

Stamford Bridge is the venue as Chelsea and Aston Villa square off against each other in an intriguing Premier League match-up.

Though a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield last time out halted Chelsea’s 100% Premier League start, the ‘Blues’ could make history here. A potential victory at Stamford Bridge would see Thomas Tuchel’s side become only the second club after Manchester United to win 600 Premier League matches. That prospect looks well within touching distance, with the Londoners suffering just one defeat across their last 16 home top-flight H2Hs (W11, D4), courtesy of a 3-1 loss in December 2011. Additionally, since replacing Frank Lampard in the dugout back in January, Tuchel has guided Chelsea to second-most points in the Premier League (45). The German manager has based his team’s success on a rock-solid backline that has conceded an average of just 0.63 goals per league game during his tenure.

Meanwhile, the visitors have blown hot and cold early in the season (W1, D1, L1), conceding the opening goal by the 10th minute twice in their opening three Premier League outings. Seeking his first managerial clean sheet against Chelsea, head coach Dean Smith will be looking to stage another upset, having seen two of his side’s last three Premier League victories coming as underdogs. Despite enduring a topsy-turvy season thus far, the new-look Villa side can draw confidence from notching up 2+ goals in four consecutive away Premier League matches. Additionally, the ‘Lions’ won 50% of their six top-flight fixtures in London last season (D1, L2), as many victories as they amassed in their previous 29 top-tier contests in the capital (W3, D4, L22).