Unai Emery already losing sleep over Chelsea clash after what Enzo Maresca just said
Aston Villa’s winning streak could promptly come to an end after Enzo Maresca issued an injury update back at Chelsea.
Unai Emery’s side beat West Ham 3-2 to extend their streak to nine games across all competitions, including Europa League victories over Maccabi Tel Aviv, Young Boys, and Basel.
While none of these have been simple victories, the Villans have done more than enough to enter the Premier League title race, currently sitting three points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Arsenal remain favourites for the Premier League title, with Man City narrowly behind, but Chelsea will have something to say about the race when the two sides meet on Saturday, 27 December.
Enzo Maresca is confident of key returns ahead of Aston Villa
Villa must first face Man United at Villa Park, but given recent form, Emery’s side should be able to break their voodoo against their upcoming opposition.
Playing against the Blues will truly be where the Villans are tested, and after Maresca’s latest admission, that test has just gotten that much harder ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have been without Liam Delap, Estevao, Levi Colwill, and even Cole Palmer for quite some time, but that could change before the two sides face off in the Premier League.
Initially, Delap was expected to be sidelined until the end of January, but with those at Cobham Training Centre now confident of an early return, Emery will already be having nightmares.
Liam Delap could feature against one of his favourite opponents
In his press conference (19 December), Maresca confirmed that the 22-year-old could be available to feature against the Villans, and he appears to thrive against that opposition in particular.
He has only faced Villa twice in his senior career, both times for Ipswich Town during the 2024-25 campaign, but his stats speak for themselves ahead of the clash.
In 168 minutes, Delap managed to hit the back of the net three times, averaging a goal every 56 minutes, and that might be all he needs to sink the Villans at Stamford Bridge.
The Man City academy product has just two goals since signing for the Blues, but a game against one of his favourite oppositions might be exactly what he needs to get his season off the ground.