Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel will probably need to get creative with his first team formation on Saturday when he strategizes against Aston Villa. That’s because he could be without the services of Christian Pulisic, Reece James, Thiago Silva, N’Golo Kante, Kai Havertz and Romelu Lukaku.
That’s okay, because this is why you have depth! And as always, the Chelsea roster is indeed loaded at almost every position.
Chelsea FC vs Aston Villa FYIs
Kickoff: Sat Sept 11, 3pm BST, Stamford Bridge, TV: NBC
Team News for Both Sides: go here
Premier League Weekly Podcast: go here
Premier League Position: Chelsea 4th, 7pts Aston Villa 11th, 4 pts.
Premier League Form Guide: Chelsea DWW Aston Villa DWL
This match will provide a great opportunity for some of the more unsung members of the squad to step up and grab the Aston Villa home game by the scruff of the neck; and in doing so maybe claim/reclaim a first team spot?
Among others, keep an eye on Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner especially.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction vs Aston Villa
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; Chilwell, Kovacic, Jorginho, Alonso; Mount, Ziyech; Werner
Prediction: Chelsea 1, Aston Villa 0
Despite the potential absence of several key players, Chelsea are still massively favored at -400 while Aston Villa are HUGE underdogs, to the tune of +1000. A draw is priced at +450, and we’re going chalk on this one.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.