Match Preview
If Aston Villa claim a win at home to Chelsea, their Premier League survival will be mathematically confirmed. The Villans are 5 points clear of 18th placed Wigan Athletic, who occupy the last relegation spot, and cannot be caught if they pick up all three points in their final home game of the season. However, memories of that 8-0 pasting dished out by this weekend's opponents the last time the two sides met will be all too clear in the back of Villa's minds, and a similarly damaging defeat could set up a mouthwatering clash with the Latics at the DW Stadium on the final game of the season next weekend. Chelsea meanwhile can guarantee a place in the top four with a win here, though they may have one eye on next Wednesday's Europa League Final against Benfica in Amsterdam. Rafa Benitez is expected to rest his big guns and give starts to veterans John Terry and Frank Lampard, the latter of which could finally equal and/or better Bobby Tambling's long standing goal record of 202 strikes for the Blues.
Joseph Dempsey
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Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
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