Chelsea v Aston Villa Betting Tips [22 September 2021]

Two Premier League clubs lock horn in midweek when Chelsea host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge for a League Cup third-round clash. These two teams met earlier in the month, with Chelsea winning 3-0, so Villa will be looking for revenge. The Blues had the better of recent exchanges between the teams, triumphing in four of the past six meetings. At Stamford Bridge, the home side won five of the previous six games against the visiting Villa. With the way Chelsea have started the season, it's hard to see them do anything but improve those records. Thomas Tuchel's Champions League holders are unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions. After strengthening an already strong team over the summer, many pundits tip the Blues, who are presently top of the table, to win the Premier League. Recent history suggests Chelsea have a terrific chance of winning the League Cup too; they have won three since 2005. Villa have not won a major trophy since lifting their last League Cup back in 1996.  

A comprehensive 3-0 win over Everton at the weekend suggested that Villa learned some lessons from the loss to Chelsea. Dean Smith's side look capable of building on their 11th-place finish last season, with new signings like Danny Ings and Emiliano Buendia settling quickly. With the potentially to finish high up the table in mind, we expect both teams to rotate. Chelsea have tremendous squad depth, and their second XI could probably finish inside the Premier League top ten. We ultimately expect Chelsea to progress, but we believe that Smith will apply his findings from that recent defeat to his game plan, making the home side's task difficult. Back Villa half-time double chance.