Premier League preview: Aston Villa v Chelsea

There is plenty on the line for both sides when Aston Villa host Chelsea in the English Premier League on Saturday.

The arrival of Roberto Di Matteo as manager after Andre Villas-Boas’ sacking saw an upswing in Chelsea’s form, but a loss to Manchester City and a draw at home against Tottenham has seen the gap between them and fourth-placed Arsenal widen to five points.

The Blues won the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Benfica thanks to a lone goal from Salomon Kalou in Portugal on Tuesday, but they may not be playing in Europe’s top club competition next season if they cannot overtake Arsenal.

Di Matteo clearly had that in mind when choosing his team to face Benfica, leaving Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Gary Cahill on the bench to ensure they would be fit to face Villa.

Another boost for Chelsea is the return to fitness of defender Branislav Ivanovic, who had been out for two weeks with a thigh strain.

The Serbian was part of the squad which travelled to Benfica, and although he played no part in the match, a return against Villa on Saturday could be on the cards.

For Villa, Saturday’s match is about putting more space between them and the relegation zone.

Although they sit eight points clear of 18th-placed QPR, manager Alex McLeish knows all too well the danger of being anywhere near the drop zone at this stage of the season, having watched his Birmingham side go down last term.

Villa suffered another setback with a 3-0 loss away to Arsenal last week, and with tough fixtures against Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham to come in the run home, their survival is no sure thing.

“Hopefully everyone will be sharp for the Chelsea game at the weekend,” said Aston Villa midfielder Eric Lichaj.

“Football is all about rising to the occasion and we need to win some games. Hopefully everyone will step up to the plate, be a team and win that game.”

Injuries have not helped Aston Villa’s cause, with star striker Darren Bent out for the rest of the season after having surgery on his injured ankle earlier this month.

Alan Hutton is also out indefinitely, while a knee injury will keep Charles N’Zogbia on the sideline for at least another week.