Aston Villa vs Chelsea Prediction: Vote for Pedro in Wednesday’s contest

Aston Villa host Chelsea at Villa Park on Wednesday evening (19:30 GMT, live on TNT Sports 3) in what could be a pivotal clash in the race for the Champions League places.

Both teams are looking to bounce back from defeats at the weekend - Villa were soundly beaten at Wolves on Friday night, while Chelsea suffered a loss at the hands of title challengers Arsenal on Sunday. Read on for my Aston Villa vs Chelsea predictions, as well as the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Boubacar Kamara is sidelined for the rest of the season, and Wednesday's match is expected to come too soon for fellow midfielder Youri Tielemans.

Harvey Elliott continues to be sidelined, while Andres Garcia has suffered a further setback during his recovery from injury which is expected to keep him out for at least another month.

As for Chelsea, Wesley Fofana will be available for selection after being suspended for the trip to the Emirates at the weekend, however Pedro Neto will be suspended after he saw red against the Gunners.

Estevao and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens remain on the treatment table with thigh problems, and Marc Cucurella will face a late fitness test ahead of Wednesday's encounter.

Aston Villa vs Chelsea Odds

Villa are 7/4 for Wednesday's contest, the draw is 13/5 and Chelsea are 7/5, giving them an implies win probability of 41.7%.

Both teams to score is 8/13, and the reverse fixture between the pair saw Villa win 2-1 at Stamford Bridge - a repeat of that scoreline is 9/1.

Chelsea to win @ 7/5

The Blues made a bright start to life under Liam Rosenior, but his team are now without a win in three games. Losing away to league leaders Arsenal isn't a major cause for concern, but Chelsea previously dropped points at home to Leeds United and Burnley.

The main positive for Chelsea heading into Wednesday's clash is that Aston Villa's downturn in form has lasted longer. Unai Emery's men have won just three of the last 10 outings, and losing to basement boys Wolves on Friday night is biggest symptom of their current struggles.

Both sides are well within the hunt for the top-four spots, but I think Chelsea can edge this one, particularly with the injuries to Villa's midfield.

Joao Pedro to score anytime @ 7/4

Following on from my first tip of backing a Chelsea win, one man who can make the difference at Villa Park is Joao Pedro.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion striker is in fine form, scoring 11 in the Premier League so far this term, including five in his last seven starts for the Blues.

Villa have kept just one clean sheet in their last five league contests, so the Brazilian looks a cracking shout to continue his hot streak on Wednesday.

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