Aston Villa vs Chelsea prediction: ENGLAND: FA Cup betting tips on match 2024-02-06 20:00.
Aston Villa cruised to a 5-0 Premier League win over Sheffield United on Saturday – a perfect riposte to losing 3-1 to Newcastle one game previously. Unai Emery’s men were four goals to the good by half-time in that victory – their biggest top-flight away win since April 2008 – which allowed the Spaniard to rest some of his key players ahead of this FA Cup fourth round replay against Chelsea.
After drawing 0-0 at Stamford Bridge, the Villans now return home for the replay and although Villa Park has been a stronghold in the league this term, they haven’t won an FA Cup game here since January 2016 (L5). And as they’ve won just one of the last six H2Hs they hosted (L5), history is not in their favour as they look to reach the fifth round for the first time since they made it to the final in 2015!
H2H history may be on Chelsea’s side, but results are not, and some fans are beginning to lose patience with manager Mauricio Pochettino after the Blues lost their last two league matches while conceding exactly four times. Even the Argentine admitted after Sunday’s 4-2 defeat to Wolves that they are “not matching the history of the club” – a sentiment shared by the fans who booed their side off after that loss.
As that history includes winning the FA Cup eight times and reaching three consecutive finals between 2020 and 2022, losing here would heap further pressure on Pochettino. He might therefore take heart from the Blues winning six of their last seven FA Cup away games (L1), a far better record than their recent competitive road fixtures (W1, L6).
Players to watch: After scoring in Villa’s last two games, Ollie Watkins has netted six of his last seven strikes after the 60th minute, something he also did against Chelsea in September. Cole Palmer opened the scoring for Chelsea against Wolves and his name was the first on the scoresheet in four of his last five goalscoring outings.
Hot streak: None of Chelsea’s last six FA Cup ties have seen both teams score.