The fixture is part of the Premier League’s last midweek match nights of the season – and supporters can follow our coverage, including live commentary, in the Aston Villa vs Chelsea match centre on the Chelsea Official App and website.

It is the second consecutive away trip for Liam Rosenior's side against a team currently above us in the Premier League table. Villa enter the game, which kicks off at 7.30pm, fourth in the table. We are currently sixth.

Tonight's fixture will be the eighth Premier League meeting between the two teams on a Wednesday: the Blues have won four and drawn two of the previous seven.

Villa have suffered three home defeats in five matches at the previously impregnable Villa Park. Chelsea, meanwhile, have won six of our past nine matches across all competitions at the Villans’ lair.

The patchy form of Unai Emery's side continues with a 2-0 loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers, leaving them with just one win in their last six matches across all competitions.

That Midlands derby defeat came on Friday, so the hosts have had a 44-hour advantage in turnaround as the ten-man Blues were edged out 2-1 in a set-piece showdown at Arsenal two days later.

Victory would put Chelsea, this season's highest-scoring away team, back up to fifth place in the table – after Liverpool lost at Wolves.

Chelsea team news

Rosenior has confirmed Reece James and Cole Palmer are both fit to face Villa. The Blues head coach also provided positive updates on Marc Cucurella, Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian in his pre-match press conference.

‘Cucu is looking really good, and hopefully we can get him back involved if not on Wednesday, then on Saturday [vs Wrexham]. That is great for us with the schedule that we have coming up.

‘Estevao is back on the pitch running, which is great and he’s doing really well. Jamie Gittens is also progressing well with his rehab.'

Romeo Lavia made his return to action at Arsenal, featuring for the Blues for the first time since early November.

‘It was brilliant to have Romeo [Lavia] get his first minutes in a long time,' said Rosenor. 'I felt he looked really strong [against Arsenal]. I think he is close to starting. We have managed him in a different way in terms of rehab, and hopefully, now that he is back fit, he stays fit.’

The history

Notwithstanding Marco Asensio’s double overturning Enzo Fernandez’s early opener in a 2-1 defeat last season, Villa Park has largely proved a successful venue for Chelsea in the modern era.

The Blues have registered 13 victories there since 1992 – the same as at Man City and Crystal Palace. Only at Tottenham (17), Southampton (15) and West Ham (14) have we enjoyed more Premier League success.

In fact, in the decade between 2012 and 2022, the Londoners claimed all three points from seven of the nine visits.

The 4-0 victory in 2016 featured two Pedro stunners and racked up our 200th Premier League away victory – just the third club to do so.

Famously, in May 2013, Frank Lampard’s brace in a 2-1 win made him the Blues’ all-time leading goalscorer – edging past Bobby Tambling’s 202 on the way to an eventual tally of 211.

Chelsea’s first Premier League era visit in September 1992 was also on a Wednesday. Although Kevin Richardson opened the scoring for Ron Atkinson’s team Robert Fleck (with his first for the club) and Eddie Newton (his second) turned things round before the break.

Vinnie Jones’ effort then fell kindly for Dennis Wise to seal an impressive 3-1 win.

Our biggest margin of victory at Villa Park was 6-2 in 1966, in which the prolific Tambling netted five.

Know this…

Our Premier League win rate at Aston Villa of 43.3 per cent is our 12th-best against current top-flight teams.

Chelsea have netted 20 league goals from set-plays this season – more than anyone except leaders Arsenal (24).

The Blues have dropped 19 points from winning league positions overall this season, but only two on the road.

Virgil van Dijk has drawn level with former Chelsea and Villa player Gary Cahill on 28 career league goals, but Liverpool’s Dutchman still has a way to go to match the Premier League’s highest-scoring central defender: John Terry with 41.

Between 2014 and 2020, straddling Aston Villa’s relegation and promotion, Chelsea recorded the league double against the Birmingham side three seasons in a row.

Tonight Chelsea will be wearing our third kit, inspired by the one worn during our historic 2004/05 campaign. Supporters wishing to purchase men's sizes of our third kit can pre-register their interest ahead of its imminent restock, while women's and children's sizes can be bought now.