Chelsea will go in search of just a second Premier League win of the season on Sunday, when they welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge.
In five league games under Mauricio Pochettino, the Blues have amassed just five points, while their visitors will aim to crack the top six with what would be a second straight win in England's top flight.
Match preview
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After their disappointing campaign last time around, in which they finished 12th in the Premier League with just 44 points, their lowest haul of the Premier League era, Chelsea opted to hire Mauricio Pochettino with the new season in mind and set out for quick improvement this term, but the Blues have again had to endure a slow start.
They would earn a creditable point in their curtain-raiser at home to Liverpool, coming away with a 1-1 draw thanks to Axel Disasi's leveller, only to lose 3-1 away at London rivals West Ham United in the following outing, as Michail Antonio restored their hosts' lead after Carney Chukwuemeka's first half equaliser and Lucas Paqueta wrapped up the home victory from the penalty spot in injury time.
The Blues did then score a first competitive victory under their new boss, beating newly-promoted Luton Town 3-0 at Stamford Bridge thanks to Raheem Sterling's brace and a Nicolas Jackson goal, before they headed into the international break on the back of another setback.
The first half of their meeting at home to Nottingham Forest ended goalless, but after Anthony Elanga quickly opened the scoring early in the second period, Chelsea were unable to find a leveller and came away empty-handed as a result, before returning to action away at Bournemouth last Sunday and coming away with another disappointing result as the spoils were shared in a goalless stalemate.
In the midst of their first season without continental football since the 2016-17 term, Chelsea do now head into the weekend well rested, although with just five points on the board from five outings under Pochettino, the London outfit will know they must quickly turn their form around starting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, to avoid falling even further behind the leading pack at this stage.
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In their way stand an Aston Villa side who will look to build on a much more positive start to their first full season under Unai Emery, having picked up nine points thus far, despite the campaign beginning in dismal fashion as they suffered a 5-1 thrashing away at Newcastle on the opening day, despite Moussa Diaby drawing them level at a goal apiece early on.
Things would quickly improve for the Villans, as they put their first league wins on the board with 4-0 and 3-1 victories over Everton and Burnley respectively, with John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Leon Bailey and Jhon Duran scoring in the former and Matty Cash netting a brace alongside a Diaby goal in the latter, while also cruising past Hibernian in the Europa Conference League playoff round, eventually dishing out an 8-0 beating over two legs to advance to the group stage.
On the back of consecutive league wins, Emery's side headed into the international break on the back of a tough trip to Liverpool, which ended in a 3-0 defeat as Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah got on the scoresheet alongside a Cash own goal, but they bounced back on their return last weekend, coming from behind to eventually see off Crystal Palace at Villa Park, as Duran only tied the game level at 1-1 in the 87th minute before Luiz and Bailey scored deep into injury time to seal the three points.
Now on the back of their Europa Conference League group curtain-raiser away at Legia Warsaw, having suffered a 3-2 defeat despite twice drawing level through Duran and Lucas Digne, the Villans will turn their focus back to the Premier League and seek to make it back-to-back three-point hauls and four from their opening six outings on their trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with the aim of improving on their current standing in seventh spot.
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Team News
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Chelsea continue to deal with a long and unenviable injury list heading into the weekend, with Pochettino unable to call on important players all over the pitch as defenders Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella are all sidelined alongside midfielders Carney Chukwuemeka, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia and attackers Noni Madueke, Armando Broja and Christopher Nkunku, albeit with several nearing returns to full fitness.
Given the extensive list of absentees, and with the Blues having lined up in a 4-3-3 shape in recent weeks, Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi could again partner up in the middle of the defence, with Levi Colwill having been prepared over Ben Chilwell on the left-hand side of the back four last weekend, while Malo Gusto will keep his place on the opposite side until captain Reece James's return.
Elsewhere, Lesley Ugochukwu should keep his spot in midfield alongside Conor Gallagher and key man Enzo Fernandez, while options are limited up front with summer signing Cole Palmer the only fit and senior attacker able to challenge the trio of Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Jackson and Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Aston Villa are dealing with several injuries of their own, as Emiliano Buendia is confined to the treatment room alongside defenders Tyrone Mings, and after making some rotations for their trip to Legia Warsaw, Emery should revert to the same starting XI from their win over Crystal Palace last weekend.
Despite Jhon Duran's impressive start to the season, Ollie Watkins is bound to return and lead their line in a 4-2-3-1 shape, likely with support from the trio of John McGinn, Moussa Diaby and either Leon Bailey or Nicolo Zaniolo.
Summer signings Clement Lenglet and Youri Tielemans came into the starting lineup in defence and midfield respectively on Thursday, but we should again see Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa in the middle of the back four, in the ongoing absence of Mings and Carlos, and Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara partnering up in the engine room on Saturday.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Gallagher, Fernandez, Ugochukwu; Sterling, Jackson, Mudryk
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Luiz; Diaby, McGinn, Zaniolo; Watkins
We say: Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa
Still wounded from last season and adjusting to their new boss, and with the squad heavily impacted by injuries, we do not see Chelsea putting a second league win of the season on the board on Sunday, instead opting for another draw for the Blues at Stamford Bridge.
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