Aston Villa and Chelsea have come together for some of the Premier League’s most intriguing clashes since the Villains returned to the top flight a few seasons ago. Villa has been a thorn in the Blues’ side over the last few years, perhaps more than any other team since Bournemouth and Watford were relegated. This was never more true than during the final week of the 2020/21 campaign when Dean Smith’s men defeated Chelsea to potentially keep the eventual European Champions out of the top four. It was a pathetic showing by the Blues, who lucked out and remained in the top four thanks to Tottenham’s surprising victory over Leicester City.
The team Chelsea will face on Saturday is not the same one from the end of the previous campaign though. Villa will be without the club’s chief creator over the last few years in Jack Grealish. Grealish departed for the bluer pastures of Manchester City earlier this year for a British record fee of £100 million. The Villains retooled and added a plethora of attacking stars—most notably striker Danny Ings.
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Chelsea vs Aston Villa preview: How to watch and live stream Saturday’s Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge
Villa isn’t the only side with a shiny new No. 9 either. Romelu Lukaku rejoined the Blues from Inter Milan for £97.5 million, a club record, last month. Lukaku reached numerous important international milestones during the latest break, but he also returned with a slight knock. His status for the clash is unclear, but Chelsea should be fine one way or the other. Tuchel has an abundance of attacking firepower at his disposal. When the Blues play with 11 men, they are one of the most difficult teams in Europe to keep out of the back of the net.
Chelsea has started the season fairly well with two wins and a draw from the opening three contests. Meanwhile, Smith’s men have a ‘one’ in every record column. A league opening loss to Watford, a win over Newcastle and a draw versus Brentford respectively. Three points would go a long way in proving to each team that they deserve the current hype surrounding them. The Blues have been touted as title challengers and Villa is supposed to be on the brink of European qualification after a summer spending spree.
Where can you watch Chelsea vs Aston Villa in the Premier League?
Date: Saturday, September 11
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. GMT)
Location: London, England
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Referee: Stuart Attwell
TV Info: NBC (USA), Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event (UK)
Live Stream: Peacock (USA), Sky Go (UK)