Aston Villa v Chelsea: Updates, team news and match facts

Not much new to write today that hasn't been written a few times this week and still nothing has changed for me. However, it's been reported the owners are going to be at Villa Park today and I'm not sure that is a coincidence, but we'll know by the end of the day. Or actually, we'll know at the final whistle.

If we beat Chelsea, they'll not sack Gerrard. I suspect if we don't lose they not get rid of Steven Gerrard. If we lose though, there is a chance that Steven Gerrard will not be the manager of Aston Villa tomorrow. I also suspect, regardless of the result Christian Purslow might no longer be the CEO of Aston Villa.

But all that is just talk. It should be about the match. First, I don't think we can afford to play Coutinho. Not nice to write that as he came with such expectation, but the truth is, we need someone in the team that is going to contribute based on the role and position.

And because of the size of the squad, there are options for the manager so it's difficult to predict what would happen if he did drop him. And I think he will. You don't need to be a data scientist to see he's not contributing in the way we'd all like him to contribute.

We'll find out in a few hours. One thing is for sure though, we need to be quicker with the ball and we need to take our chances. It's going to be an interesting day.

The manager

Match facts from the BBC

Head-to-head

• Aston Villa's solitary victory in the past 10 league meetings came at home on the final day of the 2020-21 season (D1, L8).
• Chelsea have won six of their last eight away Premier League games against Aston Villa, as many as they had in their first 19 visits.

Aston Villa

• Villa are on a four-match unbeaten run but have won only four times in 20 league fixtures, losing 10.
• They can earn successive Premier League home victories in the same season for the first time since January 2021.
• Their only win in the past 15 league games against London opposition was 2-1 at Crystal Palace last November.
• Only Wolves have scored fewer Premier League goals than the seven by Villa this season.
• Aston Villa's last nine league goals were scored by nine different players.
• Philippe Coutinho has scored one goal and provided no assists in his past 20 Premier League appearances.
• Ezri Konsa is expected to make his 100th Premier League appearance.

Chelsea

• Chelsea have won three league games in a row and are looking to earn consecutive clean sheets in the division for the first time since March.
• The Blues could lose as many as three of their opening five away games of a Premier League season for the second time, having done so in 2015-16.
• Raheem Sterling is one short of 50 Premier League away goals. He hasn't scored in any of his four league appearances at Villa Park.
• Graham Potter's two wins in 10 attempts as a manager against Aston Villa both came at Villa Park: 3-0 for Swansea in the 2018-19 FA Cup third round and 2-1 for Brighton in the 2020-21 Premier League.
• Potter has taken 19 points out of a possible 24 in his eight league matches as a manager this season for Brighton and Chelsea.