Chelsea predicted lineup vs Aston Villa - FA Cup
- Chelsea drew 0-0 with Aston Villa in the first encounter
- The Blues have since suffered heavy defeats to Liverpool and Wolves
- Mauricio Pochettino is under enormous pressure in the dugout
To say things are looking bleak at Stamford Bridge would be an understatement.
The Blues have shipped four goals in each of their last two games, suffering dismal defeats away to Liverpool and at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, and if it wasn't for the small mercy of a Carabao Cup final to look forward to, there would have been nothing to celebrate for Mauricio Pochettino and his players this season.
The Argentine is under huge pressure in the Chelsea dugout and the club's issues could be exacerbated by a trip to Villa Park in an FA Cup fourth round replay midweek. The first game finished goalless in west London, with the Blues having lost three of their last four against the Midlands side.
With his job on the line with each passing week, here is how Pochettino could line his Chelsea side up against Aston Villa.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
GK: Djordje Petrovic - With Robert Sanchez sitll sidelined, Petrovic will continue in between the sticks. The goalkeeper has been one of the Chelsea's better performers in recent weeks and could potentially be needed in a penalty shootout.
RB: Malo Gusto - Improved Chelsea when he came on at half-time against Liverpool but had an afternoon to forget against Wolves. With Reece James out, he's Pochettino's only orthodox option at right-back.
CB: Axel Disasi - Scored an own goal against Wolves but Chelsea's defensive injuries means Pochettino can't afford to rest the summer signing.
CB: Benoit Badiashile - With Thiago Silva now 39, he can't play every three days. As a result, Badiashile should be given a start against Villa.
LB: Ben Chilwell - Recent displays have left a lot to be desired but the Englishman can at least be a threat going forward. With Marc Cucurella and Levi Colwill out, Pochettino has no other options at left-back.
CM: Moises Caicedo - Still looks a shadow of the £115m player the Premier League saw during his Brighton days. Will need to be aggressive to win the midfield battle up against Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara.
CM: Enzo Fernandez - The World Cup winner has put in some very hit-and-miss performances this term, but can dictate the tempo for the Blues.
RM: Cole Palmer - The shining light in a horrid campaign, Palmer got on the scoresheet again at the weekend. Chelsea have become overly reliant on his goal contributions.
AM: Christopher Nkunku - Operates best playing off a recognised centre-forward and has already shown glimpses of his quality in an injury-hit debut season with the Blues.
LM: Raheem Sterling - Plenty of endeavour but not a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge right now.
ST: Nicolas Jackson - Could be offered his first start since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations and needs to build a relationship with Nkunku moving forward.
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