A year ago, Chelsea was eliminated from the FA Cup in the very first round, succumbing to Manchester City (0:4). Prior to that, the Londoners had reached the final three times in a row. This year, they started with a convincing victory over Preston (4:0). Heading into the upcoming battle, Maurizio Pochettino’s squad is in excellent spirits following their advancement to the League Cup final. In the second leg of the semi-final, the aristocrats left no chance for Middlesbrough (6:1). In the Premier League, Chelsea has achieved a three-game winning streak. However, even such successes haven’t allowed them to climb higher than the ninth position the team had a rather inconsistent performance in the first half of the season.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, has consistently exited the FA Cup in the first round for seven consecutive tournaments. Clearly, the club’s leadership doesn’t prioritize this competition. Not surprisingly, this time around, the Birmingham side struggled to overcome the resistance of Championship representative Middlesbrough in the Round of 32 (1:0). In the Premier League, Unai Emery’s wards are having an excellent season, currently occupying the fourth position after 21 rounds. The team has accumulated 43 points, the same as Manchester City and Arsenal, who are positioned higher. In the last round, Aston Villa couldn’t secure a win against Everton in an away match (0:0). By the way, if you want to get more 90% accurate football predictions, we recommend that you follow the link provided and subscribe to the blog section updates.
