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Chelsea at Aston Villa: Three things to look for on Championship Sunday

By Gabe Henderson

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 28: N'Golo Kante of Chelsea battles for possession with John McGinn of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on December 28, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 28: N'Golo Kante of Chelsea battles for possession with John McGinn of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on December 28, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 18: Jorginho of Chelsea celebrates after scoring their sides second goal from the penalty spot with team mates Cesar Azpilicueta and Christian Pulisic during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on May 18, 2021 in London, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Glyn Kirk – Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 18: Jorginho of Chelsea celebrates after scoring their sides second goal from the penalty spot with team mates Cesar Azpilicueta and Christian Pulisic during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on May 18, 2021 in London, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Glyn Kirk – Pool/Getty Images) /

2. Everything vs. Nothing

This match is a classic case of everything versus nothing. The visitors’ season is still on the line whereas the hosts have literally nothing to play for.

Aston Villa has nothing physical to play for on Sunday. The season started off with a ton of success, but injuries—like the one to Jack Grealish—and drops in form took their toll. Now, Villa has cemented the 11th spot in the league. It cannot move up or down, no matter the results at Villa Park or around the Premier league on matchday 38. After a long and extremely tough campaign, it’d be no surprise to see a somewhat sluggish showing ahead of the summer.

While Aston Villa may not have nothing to play for on paper, there is pride on the line. Villa Park will welcome back a plethora of fans for the first time since the COVID-19 shutdown in the Premier League. The return of supporters over the last week has breathed new life into many teams—Tottenham being the exception. The Villains fed off the energy and boos from Spurs spectators at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, inspiring an unlikely 2-1 comeback victory. This only puts fear into the Blues as they worry about how fans will ignite the fire inside Smith’s side.

For Chelsea, the season comes down to this game. The Blues are sitting pretty in third place right now, but the two Champions League spots that aren’t locked in at the moment can be captured by three clubs. Liverpool will need to take care of business and hope for losses by either Chelsea or Leicester, if not both. The scenario for the Reds and the Foxes requires the Blues dropping points. If Tuchel’s side wins though, it’s into the Champions League next season.

Top four has always been the goal for this year, no matter the manager. The pressure will be on Chelsea to qualify for next season’s tournament considering it is in the final of this year’s UCL. While a win on Sunday isn’t the only route back into the competition, it’s certainly the easiest.

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