Chelsea return to Premier League action for the first time in over a week when they travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa.
Chelsea's season is on a downward spiral. After a strong start had them sitting second on Christmas, the Blues have won just two of their last nine games, falling to sixth in the standings during the poor run. Fans have gone from chanting "We've got our Chelsea back" to "We want our Chelsea back" in a span of two months, illustrating how sharply Chelsea's from has dipped in the Premier League.
Back on Dec. 1, Chelsea had one of their best performances of the season against Aston Villa. Now, Unai Emery's side will look to have the upper hand going into this weekend's match.
Enzo Maresca must figure out how to wake up a Chelsea attack that managed just one shot on target in over 180 minutes played against Brighton in their last two games. Injuries to Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu and Noni Madueke, plus the departure of João Félix during the January transfer window, have depleted Chelsea's front line.
Whatever the reason, Maresca and Chelsea must get out of their funk quickly or they risk falling out of the race for the Champions League places.
Here's how Chelsea could lineup vs. Aston Villa on Saturday, Feb. 22.
