SATURDAY PREMIER LEAGUE: The Striker previews Saturday’s Premier League action. It’s a busy day with eight matches but all eyes will surely be on Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford at 3pm! All games previewed with a recommended BETDAQ bet and extended match stats.
CRYSTAL PALACE V TOTTENHAM
12.30pm We have a massive Saturday ahead in the Premier League with a bumper eight fixtures! This is great news as all football bets are 0% Commission on BETDAQ Betting Exchange every Saturday so hopefully we can find some winners. We start the day with table toppers Spurs traveling to take on Crystal Palace. Who would have thought Spurs would be top of the table, even after just three games, when they had all the drama during the summer? Nobody wanted to be manager! Although Spurs have won their opening three games, the underlining numbers would suggest a setback is just around the corner. They were very lucky to beat Manchester City and Wolves – they conceded an xG of 2.41 against City and 1.82 against Wolves. I said last week they will come up short soon, but that Watford weren’t the team to expose them and I have to say similar about Crystal Palace here.
Palace are one of my favourites to go down this season, but to their credit they have started with two draws from three games. They actually played very well before the International break away to West Ham, scoring twice and creating a bigger xG than the Hammers. That’s a very positive sign for them, as they have consistently struggled to create chances and goals over the last number of seasons. They have kept things as tight as possible though, and they will be difficult to break down for Spurs. Chelsea were able to score three times, but they also had home advantage and didn’t fully dominate the game – their xG was 1.16 for example. I’m looking forward to taking Spurs on against a top side, but for today they are only worth a small lay at 1.96. Spurs had to grind out a win at home to Watford, and they could easily run into problems away to Palace – I’d have them odds against.
The Striker Says:
One point lay (liability) Tottenham to beat Crystal Palace at 1.96 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQCrytot
MATCH STATS
● Crystal Palace are winless in their last 12 Premier League meetings with Spurs (D2 L10) since a 2-1 win in January 2015. The Eagles have scored just four goals in this run, failing to find the net on eight occasions.
● Tottenham have only failed to score in one of their 12 Premier League away games against Crystal Palace (W7 D3 L2), doing so in a 3-0 defeat in January 2005. Spurs have netted exactly once in each of their last five league games at Selhurst Park.
● Crystal Palace are set to become the first side to start a top-flight campaign with four consecutive London derbies. However, the Eagles are winless in their last 11 such games in the Premier League (D6 L5).
● Tottenham have started a league campaign with three wins and three clean sheets for the first time in their history. Only four teams have ever begun a top-flight campaign with four wins and no goals conceded – Aston Villa in 1900-01, Ipswich Town in 1974-75, Chelsea in 2005-06 and Manchester City in 2015-16.
● Crystal Palace have managed fewer shots (20) and fewer shots on target (5) than any other team in the Premier League this season. However, the Eagles did score with both of their efforts on target last time out against West Ham.
● Tottenham are looking to win five consecutive Premier League games for the first time since December 2018 under Mauricio Pochettino. However, Spurs have lost three of their last five Premier League London derbies (W2), as many as they had in their previous 16 such games in the competition (W6 D7).
● Conor Gallagher scored both of Crystal Palace’s goals against West Ham last time out, having netted just twice in his previous 31 Premier League appearances combined.
● Tottenham striker Harry Kane has scored 38 goals in Premier League London derby matches, second only to Thierry Henry (43) in the competition. Kane has been involved in 12 goals in 14 Premier League games against Crystal Palace (7 goals, 5 assists), including six in seven at Selhurst Park.
● Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha has faced Tottenham more often without registering a single goal or assist than he has any other side in the competition (12).
● Since the start of last season, no player has scored more winning goals in the Premier League than Tottenham’s Son Heung-min (8), with both of the Korean’s strikes so far this season proving decisive.
ARSENAL V NORWICH
3pm Arsenal fans look away, we have a massive bottom of the table clash here! Arsenal fans won’t enjoy the banter before this game as they sit bottom of the table, but you have to say this is finally their chance to get a win on the board. Anything else would be a disaster, and not to overreact or anything; would likely see their manager go? He’s already under pressure, and a failure to beat Norwich would be unacceptable for the fans. I have to say the Arsenal fans are becoming a major issue for the club at the moment, they are booing the players off the pitch and the morale in the stadium must be at an all time low. Some of the away section were even celebrating Manchester City goals before the International break. Crazy. It’s a sign of the times that you can get Arsenal as big as 1.55 here.
When you stand back from the Arsenal situation, it was very predictable this would happen after they lost to Brentford. They effectively needed to take points from that game, as they can’t be expected to beat Chelsea or Man City these days. I suppose the problem with Arsenal is the fact their fans still expect that – but they are only a mid-table side these days. Norwich won’t be a pushover here either, and they will definitely go into this game thinking they can cause an upset. They actually haven’t played that badly despite losing three games and they have had a very tough fixture list too – Liverpool, Man City and Leicester. They created xG figures of 1.81 and 1.63 against Liverpool and Leicester however, and granted they were hammered by City. Although the 1.55 on Arsenal is a historically high price, I still feel it’s worth a small lay given all the troubles they have at the moment and the fact Norwich are creating chances.
The Striker Says:
One point lay (liability) Arsenal to beat Norwich at 1.55 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQArsnor
MATCH STATS
● Arsenal have lost just two of their 18 Premier League meetings with Norwich (W9 D7), and are unbeaten in seven against the Canaries since a 1-0 loss in October 2012.
● Since winning 4-2 at Highbury in their first ever Premier League match in August 1992, Norwich are winless in eight away league games against Arsenal (D2 L6), conceding 24 goals in that run.
● Arsenal have scored at least three goals in six of their last seven home league games against Norwich, winning 4-0 in July 2020 in their last such meeting.
● This is Arsenal’s first 3pm Saturday game in the Premier League since June 2020, when they lost 2-1 at Brighton. At home, the Gunners are unbeaten in their last 26 games in this kick-off slot (W21 D5) since a 3-1 loss against Aston Villa in August 2013.
● Only once in their history have Arsenal lost each of their first four league games to a season, doing so in the 1923-24 top-flight campaign. The Gunners have never failed to score in any of their opening four league games before.
● Norwich have lost their last 13 Premier League matches by an aggregate score of 34-2. Meanwhile, the Canaries are also winless in their last 23 top-flight matches played in London (D6 L17) since a 2-1 victory at Spurs in April 2012.
● This is Arsenal’s second ever Premier League game when starting the day bottom of the table – the only previous occasion was their second ever game in the competition, losing 1-0 at newly promoted Blackburn in August 1992 thanks to an Alan Shearer strike.
● Arsenal have the lowest xG total (1.7) and the highest xG against (8.4) in the Premier League so far this season. They managed just one shot in their last match against Man City, with this coming in the 5th minute of the game.
● Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored four goals in his two Premier League games against Norwich, netting a brace in both meetings with the Canaries in 2019-20.
● After keeping a clean sheet in each of his first two Premier League appearances against Arsenal, Norwich keeper Tim Krul has conceded in each of his last eight against the Gunners (22 in total).
BRENTFORD V BRIGHTON
3pm The clash of the xG fans! Both these clubs are owned by owners who are big fans of xG and researching the underlining numbers. As a fan of both myself, I like to see both clubs doing well. Brighton had some incredible xG figures last season, the xG table actually put them in 5th position, but they ended up in a relegation battle nonetheless. They lacked a striker to take the chances they created, but they have started the season positively and I’m sure they will more up into mid-table this season. Brentford have started their season very positively too, unbeaten in their opening three games. They started the season as one of the favourites to go down, but I actually think they’ll stay up comfortably. This should be an entertaining game anyway between two sides who like to attack – hopefully they don’t cancel each other out.
As always, it all comes down to the odds and the market for me. It’s not surprising we have a very open market as I expect a very close game. Brentford are slightly value for me at 2.96 – they played very well here against Arsenal on the opening weekend, and then they have grinded out two results away from home. I suspect they will be much stronger in front of their home fans this season and although Brighton have started the season better than the past two season – there are reasons to suggest Brentford can get a result here. Although they beat Burnley 2-1 away from home, they conceded an xG of 1.99 which is very high. I would have Brighton slightly bigger and Brentford slightly lower, so a small bet on Brentford is the call.
The Striker Says:
One point win Brentford to beat Brighton at 2.96 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQBrebri
MATCH STATS
● This will be the first top-flight meeting between Brentford and Brighton, with the sides having previously already met in the second, third and fourth tiers of English league football.
● Brighton have won just one of their last nine away league games against Brentford (D3 L5), with this their first visit since a 3-3 draw in February 2017.
● Brentford have lost just one of their last six league meetings with Brighton (W3 D2), remaining unbeaten against the Seagulls the last time they faced in the 2016-17 Championship campaign (W1 D1).
● Brentford remain unbeaten in their three Premier League games so far (W1 D2) – excluding the maiden campaign of 1992-93, the only team to remain unbeaten in their first four games in the competition are Portsmouth in 2003-04.
● Brentford are on the longest current unbeaten league run of any side in England’s top four tiers (15 – W7 D8) since a 1-0 loss at Norwich in March. At home, the Bees are unbeaten in nine league games (W5 D4), winning each of the last three without conceding.
● Brighton have won just three of their 22 Premier League away games in London (D8 L11) and are winless in nine in the capital since beating Arsenal 2-1 in December 2019.
● Only Manchester City (72) have had more different sequences of 10+ passes than Brighton (61) in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, only two sides (Everton and Burnley) have had fewer such sequences than Brentford (17).
● Brighton have found a teammate with 70.6% of their corners in the Premier League so far this season (12/17), the highest ratio in the division. They’ve also had a league-high eight corners leading directly to a chance (including one goal).
● Brentford striker Ivan Toney got his Premier League account up and running against Aston Villa last time out. Since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, Toney has scored more goals in the top four tiers of English football than any other player (56).
● No Brighton player has had more shots than centre back Shane Duffy in the Premier League this season (8). Five of his eight shots have been set up by Pascal Groß, with no player creating more chances for a teammate in the competition so far this term.
LEICESTER V MANCHESTER CITY
3pm Next we have the highlight of the 3pm fixtures as Leicester hosting Manchester City. We have the first round of Champions League games midweek so I can understand why they had this game at 3pm, but it would have been nice to have it as a TV game – especially as we only have one game tomorrow. Perhaps without an International Break they would have had it as Friday Night Football and it has just landed on an awkward weekend between Internationals and Champions League. After losing to Spurs on the opening weekend, City have roared back with two 5-0 wins against Norwich and Arsenal. In fairness they were very unlucky to lose against Spurs as they created an xG of 2.41. This will be a good test for them however, as Leicester have already beaten them this season in the Community Shield.
We’ve only had three games, but Leicester have already had an up-and-down season. They have two wins and one loss, but their xG figures have been all over the place. They were very lucky to beat Wolves as they only created an xG of 0.5 and conceded 1.66 and then they were hammered by West Ham with only ten men. They conceded an xG of 1.63 when beating Norwich which is very concerning too. Leicester tend to play very well against City, but everything points to a City win here. The volume of chances they are creating at the moment and what Leicester are conceding suggests to me City should outscore Leicester. When the sides met here towards the end of last season City were the much better side in a 2-0 win, and they can collect all three points again here.
The Striker Says:
Three points win Manchester City to beat Leicester at 1.62 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQLeiman
MATCH STATS
● None of the last 11 league meetings between Leicester and Manchester City has finished as a draw, with the Foxes winning four to the Citizens’ seven.
● Man City have won their last two away league games against Leicester, last winning more consecutive away against the Foxes between 1934 and 1954 (5 in a row).
● Leicester have won three of their last five Premier League home games against reigning champions (L2), beating Liverpool 3-1 last season.
● Of all Premier League fixtures to have been played at least 20 times, Leicester vs Manchester City is the only one to have been won by the away side over 50% of the time – 11 away wins in 20 games (55%).
● Just one of Leicester’s last 23 Premier League home games has ended level (W12 L10). Meanwhile, the Foxes are looking to win both of their first two home games in a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1966-67.
● Man City lost their last away league game of 2020-21 and their first away game this season, having lost just one of their previous 20 on the road in the Premier League (W16 D3). They’ve not lost both of their first two away games in a single Premier League campaign since 2006-07.
● Manchester City have faced the fewest shots (15), fewest shots on target (3) and have the lowest xG against tally (1.35) in the Premier League this season. 13 of their 15 shots faced (and all three shots on target) came in their opening game against Spurs, with Norwich and Arsenal mustering just one shot each against the Citizens.
● Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has scored eight goals in 10 Premier League games against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, more top-flight goals than any other player has netted against sides managed by the Spaniard. This includes two hat-tricks against the Citizens, one in December 2016 and one in September 2020.
● Man City’s Gabriel Jesus has been involved in 13 goals in his last 16 starts in the Premier League, scoring eight and assisting five. Meanwhile, only against Everton (8) has the Brazilian scored more Premier League goals than he has against Leicester (5).
● Man City’s Ferran Torres has been involved in six goals in his last six Premier League games (5 goals, 1 assist), as many as he had in his first 21 appearances in the competition (4 goals, 2 assists).
MANCHESTER UNITED V NEWCASTLE
3pm Old Trafford will be buzzing this afternoon as we’ll finally get to see CR7 back in a Manchester United shirt! After picking up a suspension on International duty he returned early so it’s highly likely he will make his debut here not just be unveiled to the fans. It should be a fantastic day for United fans, and the secondary market for tickets has been absolutely crazy. He’s already broke the shirt sale record in a few days! From a football point of view, you can argue whether or not it was a good decision, but it was certainly a good business decision by the club and he is still one of the best players in the world. I suppose the worry is will he fit into this young side who have made so much progress over the last while. We’ll just have to wait and see on that one.
United have started the season pretty well too, they were very impressive against Leeds and then very unlucky not to beat Southampton – they created an xG of 2.16 in a 1-1 draw – maybe Ronaldo will correct those games as he won’t miss the type of chances United are creating at the moment. Their performance against Wolves was a worry, but they grinded out a win and that’s a very good sign for the future considering how they used to fold away from home under the previous managers. United should win here, but they are a terribly short price at 1.23. They are so short I wouldn’t even include them in an Acca! Newcastle aren’t a side you want to support however, but they will likely defend here and try to frustrate United. That could result in a pretty boring game if we don’t see an early goal, and under 2.5 goals is worth a small bet at 2.94 in my opinion.
The Striker Says:
One point win Under 2.5 goals at 2.94 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQMunnew
MATCH STATS
● Manchester United have lost just one of their last 36 home league games against Newcastle (W26 D9), with that defeat coming in December 2013 under David Moyes (0-1).
● Newcastle have opened the scoring in six of their last eight Premier League meetings with Manchester United but have gone on to win just two of those (L4).
● After losing three of their first six league games last season (W2 D1), Manchester United have lost just a further three in their subsequent 35 Premier League matches (W21 D11).
● Newcastle have taken 10 points from their last 15 available away from home in the Premier League (W3 D1 L1), though they did lose last time out at Aston Villa. The Magpies had earned just nine points from their previous 42 available on the road (W2 D3 L9).
● Manchester United have scored at least once in each of their last 14 Premier League home games, netting 40 times in total (2.9 per game). However, they’ve only kept three clean sheets in that run (19 conceded), shipping at least once in each of their last six at Old Trafford.
● Cristiano Ronaldo’s last Premier League appearance was in May 2009 against Arsenal – if he plays for Manchester United in this game it will set a new record for longest gap between appearances in the competition’s history (12 years 118 days).
● Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo’s last Premier League goal came 12 years and 124 days ago, against Manchester City in May 2009. Assuming he scores again for the Red Devils, only one player has ever had a longer gap between Premier League goals – Matt Jackson (13 years and 187 days between May 1993 and November 2006).
● Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 48 hat-tricks in all competitions in his club career – the first of these came against Newcastle United, in a Premier League match in January 2008.
● Mason Greenwood has scored in each of Manchester United’s three Premier League games so far this season. He could become just the fourth different teenager to score in four consecutive Premier League appearances, after Robbie Fowler, Nicolas Anelka and Francis Jeffers.
● Newcastle’s Matt Ritchie has started more open play sequences that have ended in a shot than any other player in the Premier League this season (8).
SOUTHAMPTON V WEST HAM
3pm While Leicester v Man City is a classy affair, and United are celebrating Ronaldo at Old Trafford – next we have two very competitive games at 3pm. I have to say it was very disappointing that West Ham couldn’t beat Crystal Palace prior to the International Break and especially disappointing to see Crystal Palace created a bigger xG figure than The Hammers. It was only marginal, but that was a setback for West Ham especially considering they had won their opening two games. Although they are favourites here, and rightly so after an excellent season last year, Southampton have been playing well. I know we have an open market, but I would actually have it a little more open. West Ham look too short at 2.54.
I haven’t said that often too, as West Ham were one of the best sides to back in the Premier League last season. They were playing so well and always offered excellent value within the market. The Southampton figures are very eye-catching though, and they shouldn’t be as big as 3.0 here. They created an xG of 3.42 before the International Break when only drawing with Newcastle. On paper a disappointing result, but a good performance. They grinded out a 1-1 draw with Man United before that and although they were under a lot of pressure they kept things reasonably tight at the back given how good United were. I feel they will get a result here and West Ham are too short at 2.54. That price is worth laying to have the draw on side too.
The Striker Says:
Two points lay (liability) West Ham to beat Southampton at 2.54 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQSouwhu
MATCH STATS
● Southampton have lost two of their last three home league games against West Ham (D1), as many as they had in their previous 16 against the Hammers at St Mary’s/The Dell (W8 D6 L2).
● West Ham have won six of their last seven Premier League meetings with Southampton (D1), scoring 15 goals and conceding just twice in this run (5 clean sheets).
● West Ham have won more Premier League games against Southampton (19) than they have against any other opponent in the competition. Meanwhile, the Hammers have only scored more Premier League goals against Newcastle (60) and Tottenham (60) than they have against Saints (58).
● Southampton have kept just one clean sheet in their last 24 Premier League games, conceding in each of their last 14 since a 2-0 win against Sheffield United in March. It’s their longest run without a clean sheet in the competition since September 2016 (16 games).
● Since David Moyes returned to West Ham in January 2020, the Hammers are one of just four Premier League clubs to have scored 100 goals in the competition, along with Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool.
● As well as being the joint-highest scorers in the Premier League this season (10), West Ham have the best shot conversion rate in the competition (19.6%). With an xG tally of 6.6, the Hammers have also scored 3.4 goals more than would be expected, the joint-highest number in the competition.
● Southampton have lost more Premier League games than any other side in 2021 so far (16), while of sides to have played across both campaigns, Saints have also won fewer points than any other Premier League side this calendar year (19).
● Mohamed Elyounoussi has been involved in six goals in his last two games for Southampton in all competitions (4 goals, 2 assists), having not registered a single goal involvement in his previous 19 appearances for the club.
● West Ham’s Pablo Fornals has scored four goals in his last four Premier League games, as many as he had in his previous 50 in the competition.
● Michail Antonio has both scored and assisted in each of West Ham’s three Premier League games so far this season, and he could become the first ever player to score and assist in four consecutive games in the competition.
WATFORD V WOLVES
3pm We have another very competitive market as Watford host Wolves and this is a very important game for both sides. Watford were always going to be under pressure to stay up this season and in fairness they probably would have accepted three points from three games to start with. Wolves are under pressure after the International Break after losing their opening three games. Their three games have been very tight affairs but they have come out on the wrong side of 1-0 all three times. They have had a tough fixture list – they’ve had to play Leicester, Spurs and Man United and they have actually been one of the most unlucky sides this season. They created an xG of 1.66 in the loss to Leicester while only conceding 0.66. Finished with a bigger xG against Spurs with 1.82 to 1.57 in a close game and then created an xG of 2.55 in a 1-0 loss to Man United. They are playing some good football, they just aren’t taking their chances and getting sucker punched at the other end.
This is a good opportunity for them to win however, and they deserve to get their first win under their belt after three good performances and no points. If they play as well as any of their opening three games then they should win here. The 2.38 is very much worth backing in my opinion. Watford haven’t created too much – their xG figures read 1.22 v Aston Villa, 0.47 v Brighton and 0.67 v Spurs. Wolves will definitely create more chances, it’s just about taking them. At odds of 2.38 you are getting good value to do so however, so I can’t look past the Wolves win here.
The Striker Says:
Two points win Wolves to beat Watford at 2.38 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQWatwol
MATCH STATS
● This will be the fifth Premier League meeting between Watford and Wolves, with each side winning two apiece so far.
● Wolves have won two of their last three away league games against Watford (L1), as many as they had in their previous 13 visits to Vicarage Road (D4 L7).
● Watford have won each of their last 10 home league games, their longest ever winning run at Vicarage Road. The Hornets have kept eight clean sheets in this run, conceding just three goals.
● Since beating Liverpool 3-0 in February 2020, Watford haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last 13 Premier League matches (W3 D1 L9), also failing to score on six occasions in this run.
● Wolves have lost each of their last six Premier League games, losing each of the last four despite having more shots than their opponents each time. Since 2003-04, only West Bromwich Albion have lost more consecutive Premier League games despite outshooting their opponents each time (5 in 2010-11).
● Wolves have had 57 shots in the Premier League this season (the third highest tally) but are yet to score. Since 2006-07 (when we have exact shot data), only Crystal Palace have had more shots without scoring from the start of a single campaign in the competition (87 in 2017-18, excluding own goals).
● Watford striker Josh King is just two goals away from becoming only the second Norwegian player net 50 times in the Premier League, after OIe Gunnar Solskjaer (91). However, King has failed to score in any of his last 13 top-flight appearances.
● Wolves pair Adama Traoré (4) and Trincão (3) have made more drives into the box than any other players in the Premier League this season. This is when the ball is carried into the box following a successful take-on outside the area.
● Wolves’ Adama Traoré and Raúl Jiménez have created eight chances for each other in the Premier League this season, more than any other duo in the competition this term.
● Wolves’ Raúl Jiménez is the only player to have registered double figures for both shots (12) and chances created (10) in the Premier League this season. However, Wolves remain without a goal so far this term.
CHELSEA V ASTON VILLA
5.30pm We’ve had some excellent fixtures in the Premier League today, and we finish the day with Chelsea hosting Aston Villa. Chelsea were talked about as possible title challengers this season after lifting the Champions League last season but having watched the 1-1 draw with Liverpool I don’t think that’s the case. They were exceptionally lucky to pick up a 1-1 draw as they conceded an xG of 3.35. Liverpool were all over them! I expect Chelsea to cause a few upsets in big games this season, perhaps beat the likes of Man City but I don’t feel they have the consistency to win a title. They should win here however, as Aston Villa aren’t really up to their level. I questioned how they would perform without Jack Grealish but in fairness to them they have collected four points from three games.
Their win came against Newcastle however, so the jury is still very much out. They were able to beat Brentford with home advantage before the International Break and without Grealish creating chances I think they will struggle to beat the sides around them in the table this season. You could see a lot of 0-0 and 1-1 draws from Villa this season – they only managed an xG of 0.84 against Brentford and conceded a little more. They will aim to keep this game very tight and without creating too many chances themselves, that could make for a very quiet game. Under 2.5 goals is worth backing at 2.13 in my opinion – sometimes teams are a little slow to start after the International Break and I expect Chelsea to grind out a 1-0 or 2-0 win here.
The Striker Says:
One point win Under 2.5 goals at 2.13 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQCheast
MATCH STATS
● Chelsea have lost just one of their last 16 home league games against Aston Villa (W11 D4), going down 3-1 in December 2011.
● Aston Villa won their last Premier League meeting with Chelsea, winning 2-1 on the final day of last season. They’ve not won consecutive league games against the Blues since October 1993 under Ron Atkinson.
● Since Thomas Tuchel’s first game in charge of Chelsea, only Manchester City (51) have won more Premier League points than the Blues (45 – W13 D6 L3). The Blues also have the meanest defence in that run (excluding the promoted sides) with just 14 goals conceded.
● Aston Villa won three of their six Premier League games in London last season (D1 L2), as many victories as they’d managed in their previous 29 top-flight games in the capital (W3 D4 L22).
● Chelsea have won 599 Premier League games (D274 L244) and would become the second team to reach 600 in the competition with victory here (Manchester United, 689).
● Only Manchester City (1.4) have a lower xG against figure than Aston Villa (2.3) in the Premier League this season, though that means the Villans have conceded around two goals more than would be expected based on the quality of chances they’ve faced.
● Two of Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel’s three Premier League defeats have been in home games, with the other coming away against Aston Villa. The last Chelsea boss to lose consecutive league games against the Villans was Bobby Campbell in 1990.
● Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has been pressured (closed down by an opposing player) more often than any other player in the Premier League this season (160), with a league-high 130 of these coming while he was in possession of the ball.
● Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has scored in each of his last five Premier League appearances against Aston Villa, netting six goals in total in this run. The Belgian is looking for his first top-flight goal at Stamford Bridge, in what would be his 11th appearance at the ground in the competition.
● Danny Ings has been involved in eight goals in his last nine Premier League starts (6 goals, 2 assists), registering a goal involvement in all three of his appearances for Aston Villa so far (2 goals, 1 assist).
