Our prediction for this Premier League match:
Chelsea play host to Aston Villa at their Stamford Bridge in what is expected to be an interesting Premier League game. The Blues have been struggling in the national championship ever since several first-team regulars left the club, with the team recording only one win in the process. Chelsea are eager to return to winning ways following a slim goalless draw with Bournemouth and they are likely to adopt an attack-minded approach in Sunday’s clash. England rising start Cole Palmer is widely expected to make his first start for Chelsea this weekend, while Malang Sarr continues to miss out through suspension.
Both Noni Madueke and Marc Cucurella should recover in time to face the Villans. The visiting side, on the other hand, quickly bounced back from a 3-0 loss to Liverpool, with the team beating Crystal Palace 3-1 in front of home fans. Aston Villa have been in a much better form of late than Chelsea and we predict that they are going to beat the Blues at Stamford Bridge, mirroring their success in the last Premier League campaign. Both Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings remain in the recovery room, while the likes of Jacob Ramsey, Diego Carlos, and Bertrand Traore are major doubts.
Highlighted Player (Thiago Silva):
Brazilian defender Thiago Silva is one of the highest rated defenders in world football. Having emerged from Fluminense youth ranks, the 31-year-old defender established himself as a world-class performer while plying his trade for AC Milan from 2009 to 2012.
Having largely contributed to Rossonerri’s title winning campaign in 2010-11, Thiago Silva moved to Paris Saint-Germain together with Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a reported fee worth €42 million, which made him then second-most expensive defender in football history after Rio Ferdinand.
Silva was an immediate success at the French club, helping Les Parisiens win four consecutive Ligue 1 titles in the process. Heavily linked with a move away from Parc des Princes, fan favourite Thiago Silva remains a key figure at Paris Saint-Germain and a leader of the new wave under head coach Unai Emery. Having already surpassed the 100-game mark for the French giants, Thiago Silva is slowly writing his name in the history books of Paris Saint-Germain.
Highlighted Team (Aston Villa):
Aston Villa is one of the three clubs that dropped to the Championship at the end of the 2015/2016 Premier League campaign. The Villans host their rivals at Villa Park, the stadium that was opened in 1897 and its’ capacity is 42,682. However, it has to be noted that the highest attendance recorded at the stadium was 76,588 when Aston Villa faced Derby County in the FA Cup back in 1946.
Aston Villa’s fiercest rivals are Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion. Nonetheless, the rivalry between Aston Villa and Wolves and Coventry City is big as well. Aston Villa have won seven First Division (Premier League) trophies, with the team clinching seven FA Cup trophies as well.
The team’s biggest success, though, came in 1982 when they won the European Cup. The Villans defeated Bayern Munich (1-0) in the title game and Peter Withe was named the man of the match.