Chelsea enter the EFL Cup at its third round with Thomas Tuchel now handed an opportunity to showcase the frightening depth at his disposal. His first XI were not at their best when they met Aston Villa in the Premier League earlier this month but when Romelu Lukaku is leading the line you do not always need to create a high volume of chances.
Dean Smith’s side will be keen for revenge and to progress in the cups in a season where the Premier League ought not to bring much cause for concern. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
Viewing information
- Date: Wednesday, Sep. 22 | Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Stamford Bridge — London
- TV/Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Chelsea -250; Draw +320; Aston Villa +650 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Chelsea: The likes of Ben Chilwell, Timo Werner and Saul Niguez could well come into contention for the Chelsea starting XI if, as expected, Tuchel opts to rotate the side that have made such a strong start to the new Premier League season. There is also the possibility that Christian Pulisic, who picked up an injury on the international break, will return to contention after missing the last three games.
In short, Chelsea could field one of the best lineups in English football without having to overburden some of the team’s most crucial players. It is a welcome dilemma for Tuchel.
Aston Villa: Having been confined to the bench for the 3-0 win over Everton at the weekend, Emiliano Buendia could return to the Villa side for the first time since the international break (and his subsequent spell training in Croatia with the rest of the Premier League South American contingent thanks to Covid protocols). However, just as one of this summer’s Jack Grealish replacements returns to contention another may be out with Leon Bailey having injured himself scoring the third goal in the weekend’s victory, though he is optimistic it will not be a major issue.
“The injury was actually from the shot – I think I hit it too hard so I started feeling a little stiff in my quad. But I don’t think it should be anything serious,” said Bailey. “Instead of risking it I decided to come out – because we have a lot games coming up. So no worries.”
Prediction
Even if Chelsea do name a weakened team they have the quality across the side to secure their passage to the fourth round. PICK: Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 0
