A busy midweek lies ahead with fixtures from some of the top leagues and competitions across Europe, including England. We have two FA Cup Fourth Round replays on the Wednesday schedule, including an all-Premier League tussle at Villa Park, where Aston Villa host Chelsea in a game broadcast live on television from 20:00 GMT.
Wednesday’s match is Villa’s reward for avoiding defeat at Stamford Bridge when the teams ended goalless near the end of January. Extra time and penalties are available, meaning we’ll get a winner here as both Villa and the Blues aim to advance to the next round. Which team do you expect to win at Villa Park? Keep reading for our preview and predictions.
Villa flying high
Aston Villa is the surprise package of this season, with the team pushing hard for a top-four finish in the Premier League. They sit in fourth place after 23 games played with 46 points on the board which is level with champions Manchester City and just three points behind second-place Arsenal. An exciting second half to the season awaits fans, and they’d love to add an extended run in the FA Cup.
We last saw Aston Villa in action on Saturday, when they ran out emphatic 5-0 winners away to Sheffield United, piling pressure on the Blades. Most pundits expected Villa to win that game, but few predicted such an impressive display with five goals scored, a clean sheet, and plenty of eye-catching performances. Confidence is sky-high in the home dressing room ahead of Chelsea’s visit.
Visitors feeling blue
It’s a difficult time to be a Chelsea fan, despite the Londoners boasting one of the most impressive and star-studded squads in Europe. Chelsea is in the bottom half of the Premiership after 23 games, placed 11th, with their stats showing nine wins, four draws, and ten defeats, scoring 38 goals and conceding 39. A European finish remains the aim, but their chances are fading fast.
Bet hereChelsea has lost each of their last two games, suffering a 4-1 defeat at Anfield to close January and then a 4-2 home defeat to Wolves in early February. The loss at Liverpool was expected, given the form of the Reds and the Blues, but a home defeat to Wolves angered the supporters, who are running low on patience. The FA Cup remains one of their few remaining chances of success this term, but will they go through?
Aston Villa vs Chelsea prediction
If this were a Premier League game at Villa Park on Wednesday, it would be easy to make a strong case for a home win. But it’s an FA Cup replay, and we know anything can happen in this most unpredictable of competitions. Wednesday will be the third time Aston Villa and Chelsea have met in competitive action this season, with the home team unbeaten to date. They won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the league and returned to battle a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup recently.
Having left London with a draw, Aston Villa fans will feel their team now holds an advantage over Chelsea. If they make home advantage count, Villa will progress to the next round while eliminating a major player and one of the favourites to win the trophy at Wembley in spring. Villa’s best may just be good enough to settle things within 90 minutes.
FA Cup odds
Fancy a bet on this midweek FA Cup replay at Villa Park? 22Bet customers, new and experienced, can wager on the results with the match-winner market available. Which team do you expect to win this game? You can back Aston Villa at 2.18 or side with Chelsea at 3.07. Fancy another draw after 90 minutes? The level finish is 3.64.
In addition to the match-winner betting and odds, 22Bet users also enjoy a long list of specials. There are both teams to score, handicap, first goalscorer, half-time/full-time, and plenty more besides. Study the stats, browse the markets, and take your pick.
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