Chelsea vs Aston Villa LIVE Football Score 23 May 2021

Chelsea team news

Thomas Tuchel and his players cannot afford to focus on next weekend’s showpiece final just yet as there are vital matters still to conclude in the domestic top flight.

The last league match prior to a European final is something Chelsea have navigated six times previously, recording three wins and three draws. In among those is 11 May 2013, when the 10-man Blues beat Aston Villa (also reduced to 10) 2-1 at Villa Park thanks to Frank Lampard memorably matching then overtaking Bobby Tambling’s all-time goalscoring record.

All matches will start at 4pm on Sunday and while Tuchel knows his team can ‘decide things’ with a win, he may adapt the risk management of his players in response to scorelines elsewhere. In terms of availability, Andreas Christensen is back in the fold and N’Golo Kante and Kai Havertz could restart training on Saturday (and both should be fine for the final).

It seems likely the France midfielder will sit this one out anyway, especially with Mateo Kovacic restored to fitness. Equally, Thiago Silva won every challenge he entered in midweek, but that was the 36-year-old’s third start in seven days and Christensen will be eager to show his worth.

If results appear to be going the right way, Tammy Abraham and Scotland Euro 2020 squad member Billy Gilmour will be among those pressing for minutes. There could even be a reward for fellow Academy graduates Tino Anjorin, a strong and skilful attacking midfielder, and attacking wing-back Tino Livramento, who have regularly impressed in training.

Villa are likely to defend deeply and counter quickly and directly, as so many sides have against the Blues this season. Especially important will be Tuchel’s selection on the right, where Matt Targett’s speed and Jack Grealish’s magnetism underpin the majority of Villa’s attacks.

Patience and efficiency could be virtues again for Chelsea, who dominated and took the game to Leicester but lost focus towards the close, almost losing two crucial points. Interestingly, the Londoners’ most prolific period in away games has been around the hour mark, which coincides with when Villa have conceded most as hosts.

Sunday will be the final day of the Premier League season and while Chelsea cannot finish any higher than third, they could still drop out of the UEFA Champions League qualification positions and into the Europa League berths. Hosts Aston Villa can close the gap on Leeds United with a win, but will not be able to finish in the top half of the table after their recent loss of form. Villa Park has not been the happiest of hunting grounds for clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal and the return of fans, as well as Jack Grealish’s improving form and fitness, could make this tough for Chelsea.

Here is how you can watch the match and what to know:

Viewing information

• Date: Sunday, May. 23 | Time: 11 a.m. ET
• Location: Villa Park — Birmingham, England
• TV: NBC
• : fuboTV (try for free)
• Odds: AVFC +550; Draw +340; CFC -200 (via William Hill sportsbook)