Mark Lawrenson states his prediction for Chelsea vs Aston Villa

  Chelsea are preparing to host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Monday. The Blues suffered a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Boxing Day and are looking to get a better result against Villa. Meanwhile, Villa celebrated a 3-0 victory against Crystal Palace. Ahead of the game,  BBC football expert Mark Lawrenson has stated his predcition. "I am not surprised Chelsea boss Frank Lampard criticised his side's performance in their defeat by Arsenal, because they were well short. "The Blues have now lost three of their past four league games and this next test is also far from easy, against an Aston Villa side that are playing well and are full of confidence. "Villa had to play with 10 men for the whole second half of their win over Crystal Palace but still looked the more dangerous side going forward. "I'm still going with Chelsea here though, because I think we will see a reaction from their players. They can't be as bad as that again, surely? "Whatever happens to Villa at Stamford Bridge, they have still given themselves an excellent platform for the rest of the season. It took them 24 games to reach 25 points last season, so they have done it in nine games fewer this time. "Being realistic, I don't see them challenging for the top four, but they have already proved a lot of people wrong with their results so far." Lawrenson's score prediction: 2-0  source - BBC / Join us on Telegram

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