Chelsea vs Aston Villa prediction: Cole Palmer tipped to make the difference in tight fixture

Check out our free betting tips ahead of Sunday’s intriguing Premier League match

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side are fancied to beat Aston Villa (Getty Images)

Chelsea vs Aston Villa betting tips

• Cole Palmer to score, Moises Caicedo and John McGinn both to be carded - 16/1 William Hill
• Chelsea to win 1-0 - 10/1 bet365

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Chelsea vs Aston Villa betting tips preview

Chelsea can leap above Manchester City into second place in the Premier League with a win against Aston Villa on Sunday (1.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

The Blues have been rejuvenated under new boss Enzo Maresca, whose tactical nous and smart handling of a giant squad is paying off for a side that has just one loss in their last six matches across all competitions.

Aston Villa’s decent start to the campaign has stalled somewhat. Unai Emery’s men head to Stamford Bridge without a win in seven games, although an extremely harsh VAR call did halt them from beating Juventus through a last-gasp Morgan Rogers winner in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Last season’s fourth-placed heroes currently reside in eighth, just four points from third and 14th. The closeness of the pack means this is the perfect opportunity for the Midlands side to regain some momentum ahead of the busy Christmas calendar that will push their squad to the limit.

Chelsea vs Aston Villa betting tips: Palmer to find form

Cole Palmer is one of those players who is judged a little too harshly when he goes a few games without putting up insane numbers.

He has one assist in his last five appearances and has looked off the boil since receiving a hard tackle from Lisandro Martinez in the draw at Manchester United, but there were signs in last weekend’s win over Leicester that he is gaining momentum again.

Palmer was incredibly unfortunate not to have his name on the scoresheet against the Foxes after Noni Madueke couldn’t get out of the way of his shot into an open goal. Villa’s set up should afford him decent space to impact the game, with McGinn’s hybrid role of starting out wide and moving towards the middle a good example of a pocket that could let Palmer thrive.

McGinn will need to bring great energy to stand up to an improving Chelsea midfield. He and Youri Tielemans have their hands full whether Moises Caicedo is partnered by Enzo Fernandez or Romeo Lavia, combinations that ensure this will be a full-blooded affair.

With that in mind, punters who fancy a bet on Palmer may opt to add specific bookings to their wager, with football betting sites giving Caicedo and McGinn a good chance of receiving yellow cards. They have three and two cautions respectively this campaign, a number perhaps skewed a little by McGinn missing multiple matches.

Chelsea vs Aston Villa prediction 1: Cole Palmer to score, Moises Caicedo and John McGinn both to be carded - 16/1 William Hill

Chelsea vs Aston Villa betting tips: Blues to edge it

Recent matches between these two teams have not thrilled with too many goals. In fact, there’s been just two scored in the last three meetings, with Villa winning 1-0 twice and a 0-0 draw in last season’s FA Cup fourth round. We can expect similar tightness again, although form would suggest Chelsea have the firepower to edge themselves towards three points.

Villa have failed to score in three of their last four matches, a concerning stat considering they possess two of the best strikers in England with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran. It isn’t quite clicking at the moment, perhaps through the sheer amount of games Villa are getting through, without the huge strength-in-depth Chelsea can flaunt.

Betting sites have Chelsea as firm favourites to win with odds of 6/10 and Villa at 17/5, a marker of where the two sides are right now. However, backing a Chelsea victory without conceding should be on the radar for punters who seek extra value, with Maresca’s side doing well to limit the chances of stronger teams in recent weeks.

Chelsea vs Aston Villa prediction 2: Chelsea to win 1-0 - 10/1 bet365

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