"Steven Gerrard has really hit the ground running" - Dimitar Berbatov predicts the result of Chelsea vs Aston Villa Premier League clash
Dimitar Berbatov feels an upset could be on the cards when Chelsea play Aston Villa at Villa Park in the Premier League on Sunday.
The former Manchester United striker has made predictions for all the Boxing Day games for Metro. Berbatov, also a Betfair Ambassador, thinks Steven Gerrard's troops could pull off an upset against the Blues.
The Villas have won four of their six top-flight games under Gerrard, who took over from the sacked Dean Smith last month. That has seen Villa climb from 16th to tenth in the league standings.
Throwing it back to Boxing Day 2017! 🎁
A victory against Chelsea could be another statement of intent from Gerrard, and Berbatov believes it's a possibility, writing:
"This will be a good game. Chelsea were held to a draw last time out, and I sense another setback here. Steven Gerrard has really hit the ground running at Villa. and getting a win in this one would be a great Christmas present to give to the fans."
Chelsea, meanwhile, have appeared to lose some of their early momentum, with just one win in their last four games.
This drop in form has seen Thomas Tuchel's men drop below Manchester City and Liverpool, having led the league table for several weeks. Although Chelsea recovered from consecutive league draws with a 2-0 win over Brentford in the EFL Cup quarter-final last week, there's massive room for improvement.
Aston Villa could prey on Chelsea's stuttering form to cause an upset
Aston Villa could cause an upset with a defeat of Chelsea on Boxing Day in the Premier League. The Birmingham outfit is soaring in confidence following their last few results.
They've only lost to Premier League leaders Manchester City and Liverpool since Gerrard took over. Barring a 1-0 loss to the Reds, they have scored in all other games.
Aston Villa can confirm Head Coach Steven Gerrard will be unable to attend our next two Premier League matches with Chelsea and Leeds United as he will be isolating after testing positive for COVID-19.
Nearly half of their strikes (4 in 9) under their new manager have come after the 80th minute, a testament to their character and fighting spirit.
Gerrard's impact on the team is clear, but he'll not be on the sidelines for the Chelsea game after testing positive for COVID-19. The Blues would be remiss to underestimate Aston Villa, and need to improve massively to walk away with all three points.