Palmer And Ugochukwu To Start, Mudryk On The Bench: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Take On Aston Villa

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino will be disappointed that his side couldn’t find a breakthrough against Bournemouth last weekend.

The inability to take chances has been a common theme in the opening weeks of the season, but they will have to up their game against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Under Unai Emery, the Villans have become a difficult team to face, so it will be hoped that Pochettino’s men can rise to the challenge.

Press the next page as we predict Chelsea’s starting lineup for this weekend’s clash at Stamford Bridge.

GK – Robert Sanchez

The Spaniard had his best game for the Blues so far against Bournemouth, making a couple of key saves to ensure Pochettino’s side kept a clean sheet.

Sanchez came out to block Dango Ouattara’s shot from close range midway through the first half, before saving smartly with his feet, keeping out an effort from Dominic Solanke with 10 minutes left in the match.

Chelsea’s no.1 is improving with every passing game, and it will be hoped that the performance against the Cherries is the level we see from him consistently going forward.

Sanchez is expected to be busy again versus Villa, who have a lot of firepower in attack.

RB – Malo Gusto

The Bournemouth match was probably the Frenchman’s worst game in a Chelsea shirt so far. He wasn’t awful but it was a disappointing regression on previous performances.

Gusto lost Ouattara for his chance midway through the first half, forcing Sanchez to come off his line and smother the Cherries winger’s shot from close range.

The fullback also had numerous opportunities to cross the ball on the overlap, but he failed to produce any quality with his deliveries.

You can forgive Gusto an off-day, especially after having a strong start to the game. Hopefully, he’ll be back to his best this weekend.

CB – Axel Disasi

The biggest issue with the Frenchman is his tendency to make silly mistakes and, again, he was culpable early in the second half at the Vitality Stadium.

Disasi made a poor pass to Sanchez, as well as giving away a free-kick in a dangerous area with a rash challenge.

It is important to remind people that the defender is not a young player at 25 years of age, and he should be doing better.

You do wonder why Disasi hasn’t been dropped, especially as it would allow Levi Colwill to move across into the middle of defence where he would be more comfortable.

CB – Thiago Silva

The Brazilian appeared to lose his temper with his teammates during the stalemate against Bournemouth, leading Pochettino to remark that the defender needs to be “more relaxed.”

The manager hinted that Silva was frustrated with the inexperience around him, which is understandable, but the 39-year-old has to be more patient.

It will take time for this group of players to mature, and they will make mistakes. The hope is, though, that this team can go on to do special things in the near future.

Having someone of Silva’s experience to guide them is important and Pochettino needs the veteran defender to keep a level head.

LB – Levi Colwill

Many fans are still scratching their heads as to why Pochettino wants the 20-year-old to play at left-back.

Granted, Colwill is excellent in possession and, in the second half last weekend, we saw he can be a threat going forward when given the license to do so.

However, it’s clearly not his natural position and, with Ben Chilwell sitting on the bench, surely he would be the better fit?

Considering Colwill has played every game this season as a fullback, though, don’t expect that to change against Villa on Sunday.

CM – Lesley Ugochukwu

Pochettino singled out the young Frenchman for praise after he was handed his full Premier League debut.

With Moises Caicedo sidelined with a knee injury, Ugochukwu was given the responsibility of holding the fort in midfield versus Bournemouth and he did well.

The 19-year-old was particularly impressive in the first half, winning possession and helping to set up attacks.

As the game wore on, however, Ugochukwu struggled to keep up with the pace of the game, but that’s to be expected after having never played a full 90 minutes in England’s top flight before.

CM – Conor Gallagher

The 23-year-old was handed the captain’s armband by Pochettino at the Vitality Stadium, with Reece James still out injured and Chilwell on the bench.

There is no doubt that the manager is a big fan of Gallagher, having started him in every match so far this season.

Against Bournemouth, he did have a lot of the ball but, again, the England international’s end product was found wanting.

Gallagher’s passing in the final third was not accurate enough and he also had a decent chance to score before half-time, but he struck his shot right at the keeper.

AM – Enzo Fernandez

Pochettino needs to find a way to get the best out of the Argentinian international on a consistent basis.

When Fernandez is in possession, he is outstanding, picking out his teammates expertly, but the midfielder doesn’t get on the ball enough.

Even though he has been playing in more advanced positions since the beginning of the campaign, there are extended periods where he goes missing.

Opponents will, of course, try to mark Fernandez out of the game as they know about his quality but the Blues have to find a way to get him more involved.

RW – Cole Palmer

Pochettino’s criticism of Mykhailo Mudryk after the draw against the Cherries suggests that the Ukrainian won’t be given another start on Sunday.

Noni Madueke has returned from injury, and he will be available to play versus Villa, but Palmer deserves his opportunity.

The midfielder has impressed from the bench in both of his appearances for Chelsea so far, and it is now time to see what he can do for a full 90 minutes.

Villa’s Lucas Digne is a very attacking fullback so Palmer could get some joy if he plays on the right flank.

CF – Nicolas Jackson

Nobody can fault the Senegalese international for his effort, but his lack of quality in front of goal is a concern.

However, Villa do play with a high line and Jackson does have the pace and footballing intelligence to take advantage.

Whether the striker will be able to finish his chances if he gets them, though, is another matter.

Jackson does seem to be a confidence player and, if he can get back on the scoresheet this weekend, it could do him the world of good.

LW – Raheem Sterling

There is no doubt that the 28-year-old is Chelsea’s biggest threat in the final third of the pitch.

Sterling is a menace for opposition defences, and his direct running commits opponents and frees up space for others.

He was unlucky not to score with a freekick against the Cherries in the second half, but you do feel that he can offer the team even more in attack.

Sterling will be somewhat frustrated that the brace against Luton are the only goals to his name this season, considering how many opportunities he has had to score in the first 5 league games.