PREVIEW: Aston Villa meet Chelsea in huge Premier League showdown for Champions League places | OneFootball

Aston Villa seek a significant win at Villa Park in a key clash for Europe against their competitors Chelsea, looking to improve on form and eradicate disciplinary issues.

The Villans sit fourth in the Premier League table, matching Manchester United’s points but trailing on goal difference.

A huge upset occurred last time out when they suffered a 2-0 loss away at Molineux, conceding goals from Joao Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes.

Yet to win at Molineux since December 2020, it would have felt like a missed opportunity for Unai Emery’s men to pull further away from other Champions League hunters.

Villa have only won one match in their last five league games. Addressing whether the match is a ‘must-win’ game, he said, “Our objective is to be in Europe, and we are in. Even not in good form, we are in.

“And, of course, we are every day trying to recover our good form and our confidence, and tomorrow, Chelsea is our opponent, and of course, it’s a tough match.”

The absences of club captain John McGinn and key midfielders Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara have proved difficult for the team.

Nonetheless, Villa will want to extend their winning streak against Chelsea in the Premier League to three, increasing the gap to nine points and making a statement about remaining in the top four.

Like Villa, sixth-placed Chelsea also lost last time out against league leaders Arsenal, conceding two set-pieces and scoring through an own goal by Piero Hincapié.

Not only did they struggle to defend corners, but they failed to keep 11 players on the pitch for the ninth time this season after Pedro Neto received two yellow cards three minutes apart.

That makes it two red cards in their last two games, which continues to impact their chances of winning matches and shows a lack of discipline in key moments.

Liam Rosenior addressed the sending off in the media, as he said in his pre-match press conference, “I need to see an improvement in the behaviour now, it’s not just Pedro [Neto]. We’ve had bookings for needless dissent and fouls.

“It needs to improve. My job is to create a culture of accountability where if you make a mistake, it’s ok, but you have to hold your hand up and not do it again.”

As Wesley Fofana returns from suspension, Pedro Neto enters the suspension list and is unavailable to play.

Jamie Gittens has a hamstring injury, Estêvão is dealing with a thigh issue, and it may be too soon for Marc Cucurella to make an appearance at Villa Park.

As mentioned, Villa are dealing with injuries to key figures John McGinn and Youri Tielemans, while Boubacar Kamara is unlikely to return to the pitch this season.

Andrés García is dealing with a thigh strain, and Harvey Elliot has been unable to flourish in a Villa shirt, whether due to injury or other factors.

The match at Villa Park will take place on Wednesday at kick-off scheduled for 7:30pm GMT, with live coverage available on TNT Sports 2.

The match at Villa Park will kick off at 19:30 (GMT) on Wednesday, with live coverage available on TNT Sports 3.