Chelsea at Aston Villa preview: How to watch on TV, live stream
Chelsea returns to Premier League action on Boxing Day. The Blues will face Aston Villa on December 26, looking to keep up with title challengers Liverpool and Manchester City. Inconsistent form of late threatens to derail the team’s title chase as it slipped from first to third in a number of weeks. Thomas Tuchel’s men have won just two of their previous five league games, but a victory against Brentford in their last match—an EFL Cup quarterfinal—is bound to give them a minor confidence boost going into this one.
While the Blues have been on a downward trajectory lately, Aston Villa is on the up. The Villains upturn in form has coincided with the appointment of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard as the new manager. The Englishman joined the Birmingham outfit from Rangers in late November and has overseen four wins and two defeats since, the losses coming against Liverpool and Man City.
Chelsea: Boxing Day clash represents a final test of sorts. light. Related Story
Chelsea vs Aston Villa preview: Sunday’s Boxing Day Premier League clash
The specter of COVID-19 hangs over the Premier League ahead of Boxing Day. As the new Omicron variant wreaks havoc across the isles, a few games have already been called off and a few more risk postponement. However, as it stands, Chelsea’s trip to Villa Park is one of those expected to proceed as planned.
Precedent dictates a closely-fought tie that is very much in the balance, despite the Blues’ superiority in terms of squad depth. While they may have had the upper hand over the Villains recently, the games between the two have been far too close for comfort for the Blues. A 3-0 win for Chelsea near the start of the season was the exception rather than the norm—one which featured Romelu Lukaku scoring a brace in front of a raucous Stamford Bridge crowd. Conversely, Tuchel’s side succumbed to a 2-1 loss in the same fixture on the final day of the previous season and had to rely on rival Tottenham Hotspur beating Leicester City to finish in the top four. Another loss at Villa Park on Boxing Day could leave the Blues with too much ground to cover in the title race, especially with their rivals in scintillating form.
Where can you watch Chelsea vs Aston Villa in the Premier League?
Date: Sunday, December 26
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. GMT)
Location: Birmingham, England
Venue: Villa Park
Referee: Martin Atkinson
TV Info: NBC (USA), Sky Sports (UK)
Stream: nbcsports.com (USA), Sky Go (UK)