Chelsea take on Aston Villa as Frank Lampard prepares his side to return to action for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic halted the Premier League season.
Dean Smith's side earned what could be a precious point in the first fixture under 'Project Restart' after a goalless draw with Sheffield United.
The Blues' form was somewhat disappointing before the season came to an abrupt stop, with two wins in seven games.
But with confirmation of Timo Werner's signing from RB Leipzig, the importance on sealing Champions League qualification for next season has increased even further.
The circumstances will be challenging, with no fans present in the stadium and competitive football for the first time in over three months.
But there is rarely an easy game in the top flight and with Villa already getting a taste of Premier League action behind closed doors, the Blues will need to be in optimum shape to come away from Villa Park with a victory.
Date, time and venue
Aston Villa vs Chelsea is scheduled for 4.15pm BST kick-off on Sunday, June 21, 2020.
The game will be the second of three fixtures being shown on Sunday, with Everton and Liverpool playing out the Merseyside derby at 7pm.
Villa Park will host the 30th Premier League game of the season for both sides with no fans allowed in the stadium due to government guidelines regarding coronavirus.
Team news
Chelsea will be missing midfielder Jorginho for the trip to Villa Park after he was suspended for picking up 10 yellow cards this season.
That could see Mateo Kovacic start alongside N'Golo Kante, who recently returned to full training, in midfield.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is ready to return to action for the first time in over a year after recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, but may start on the bench as he is lacking match fitness.
Tammy Abraham is also in contention to start against his former loan club having missed three games with an ankle problem back in March.
At the back, Andreas Christensen is set to play despite breaking his finger in training two weeks ago.
Predicted XI: Kepa; James, Rudiger, Christensen, Azpilicueta; Kante, Kovacic; Willian, Mount, Pulisic; Abraham.
Referee: Paul Tierney
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea
If Chelsea are to secure Champions League qualification with a top-four finish, winning games against teams in the relegation zone will be a requirement as far as Lampard is concerned.
However, the hosts will have the advantage of already playing a match in these conditions at Villa Park and with attacking threats such as Jack Grealish will pose some danger going forward.
But the Blues have been potent in front of goal, at least away from home with 29 goals in 14 away fixtures in the League this season and will be expected to come away with a victory against struggling Villa.
How to watch
TV channel: The match will be shown live on Sky Sports' Premier League and Main Event channels, and is available via Now TV with a day pass for £9.99.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app, with a mobile month pass available for £5.99.
Head to head (h2h) history and resultsx
Chelsea boast an impressive record against the Midlands-based side, with five consecutive victories since Villa's 1-0 success back in March 2014.
The overall head-to-head record is a much closer race, with Chelsea winning 63 times and Villa prevailing on 57 occasions, with 34 draws.
This will be Chelsea's first visit to Villa Park since the 2015/16 campaign when they came away with a 4-0 victory.
Betting odds and tips
- Aston Villa to win: 11/2
- Chelsea to win: 4/7
- Draw: 7/2
- Under 2/5 goals: 5/8
- 2-1 Chelsea win: 8/1
Odds courtesy of Betfair Exchange. Click here to find out more.
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