Chelsea at Aston Villa: Premier League betting guide and tips

The Midlands team’s eight big chances created are third-worst in the English top flight, and Gerrard in particular has displayed a tactical inflexibility that simply will not cut it against the world’s best coaches. I wouldn’t be shocked if Chelsea haunts the Liverpool legend yet again by sending him to the unemployment line after Sunday’s match.

I’m a little bit surprised at the moneyline odds for the game, as the Blues only sit as a -125 favorite as I write this guide. Perhaps the oddsmakers are putting a lot of stock in Reece James’ knee injury, which looks set to keep the starlet on the sidelines until after the World Cup. James has obviously been a massive contributor to Chelsea’s recent success, and his injury last season coincided with the team’s worst period of form as well.

I’m confident in Potter’s ability to navigate the Villa match without his best player, potentially by deploying Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the right side of the midfield to assist Cesar Azpilicueta at right back, as he did in the win against Wolves. I still expect the moneyline number to move further in favor of the 2020/21 European champs as kickoff approaches, so I would play it down to around -150 or -160 if it gets that far.