Aston Villa head into the most end-of-season game imaginable, from their perspective at least: win, lose or draw, they will end the campaign in 11th place in the Premier League table.
It’s a huge improvement for Dean Smith’s team on last year’s relegation scrap, though it could also be tinged with disappointment for a poor second half of the campaign which saw them drop out of the running for a European place.
That’s exactly what their opponents are aiming for though, meaning the game is anything but a dead rubber for Chelsea - a win guarantees them a place in next season’s Champions League.
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They could yet finish anywhere from third down to fifth, meaning Thomas Tuchel’s staff might well have one eye on the Leicester and Liverpool games too, if the Blues don’t take care of business themselves.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
When is the game?
The match kicks off at 4pm on Sunday, 23 May along with all other Premier League games.
Where can I watch it?
The game will be shown live on Sky Sports Action. Subscribers can stream via the Sky Go app.
If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content.
What was the team news?
Ross Barkley has played his last game on loan as he cannot face his parent side. Matthew Cash, Morgan Sanson and Trezeguet are all out injured for Villa.
Chelsea will be missing N’Golo Kante in all likelihood, as they won’t want to risk him before the Champions League final. Kai Havertz is a doubt.
Confirmed line-ups
Aston Villa: Martinez, Konsa, Hause, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Nakamba, Traore, Grealish, El Ghazi, Watkins
Chelsea: Mendy, James, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Jorginho, Chilwell, Pulisic, Mount, Werner
Odds
Aston Villa - 6/1
Draw - 39/10
Chelsea - 11/21
Prediction
Chelsea to seal the deal and ensure a top-four finish - leaving them free to focus on winning the final on a high. Villa 1-3 Chelsea.
