((STREAMS>)) Aston Villa vs Chelsea Live Broadcast Free English FA Cup 26 January 2024 Today
Chelsea vs Aston Villa live stream: How to watch the FA Cup fourth round online and on TV. Chelsea battle Aston Villa in a high-profile fourth round tie in the FA Cup tonight.
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Deep runs in these competitions would certainly put an added shine on what has sometimes been a difficult first season in charge for Mauricio Pochettino, whose side reached the Carabao Cup showpiece by thumping Middlesbrough on Tuesday.
Still, the Blues are set for perhaps their toughest task in a knockout format this season when they host Aston Villa on Friday night.
Flying in the Premier League, Unai Emery’s side will take some beating. Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
The Chelsea vs Aston Villa live stream, Date, Time, Channels
The Chelsea vs Aston Villa live stream takes place today, Friday, January 26.
Time: 7.45 p.m. GMT / 2.45 p.m. ET / 11.45 a.m. PT / 6.45 a.m. AEDT (Jan. 27)
U.S. — ESPN Plus
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The Chelsea vs Aston Villa live stream sees two Premier League heavyweights go toe-to-toe in the FA Cup fourth round. Who will secure the bragging rights at Stamford Bridge? You can watch from anywhere
Chelsea are on a fine run of form at Stamford Bridge at the moment, with eight wins out of their last nine games in all competitions on home turf. That's not to say it was all plain sailing in their third-round defeat of Preston earlier this month. It took nearly an hour for Armando Broja to put the Blues ahead, but the flood gates opened after that, with Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling and Enzo Fernandez all netting in the second half to send Chelsea through.
Aston Villa might be flying high in the Premier League at the moment but they've had a torrid time in the FA Cup in recent years. Their win over Middlesbrough last time out, which was only secured with a heavily deflected Matty Cash shot in the 87th minute, was their first in the competition since a third-round replay against Wycombe in 2016. Perhaps Villa have more pressing concerns this season, both domestically and in Europe, but Unai Emery's side will still be looking to advance here.
This clash forms part of multiple all-Premier League match ups in the competition this weekend with Mauricio Pochettino's side already booking a Wembley final date against Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on February 25.
The Blues head into this game on the back of five wins from six matches across all competitions with Villa unbeaten in their last three games in league and cup action.
Chelsea's long injury list has not changed ahead of this game with Pochettino missing some key names until at least the start of February. Midfield duo Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku are close to a return alongside Malo Gusto and Robert Sanchez.
Unai Emery is confident of welcoming back Pau Torres and Jacob Ramsey following injury but French defender Lucas Digne is not yet ready to return from a thigh issue. There is very little to pick between the two sides in terms of recent form. However, Chelsea's home results could be the deciding factor against a strong Villa team.
Chelsea will be looking to follow up their EFL Cup final berth with a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Friday at home to Aston Villa. Mauricio Pochettino's side brushed Middlesbrough aside with ease on Tuesday in a 6-1 thumping while Unai Emery's men actually disposed of Boro in the previous round of the FA Cup which ended a run of seven straight third round exits. Between them, these two are 15-time winners of the competition and Pochettino would love to add to his silverware won with Paris Saint-Germain which would finally end his trophy drought in English soccer.
The EFL Cup final is his best shot yet at that but the FA Cup could also be a viable alternative route. Chelsea dumped out Preston North End in the last round and now are on a seven-game winning run at Stamford Bridge across all competitions. Villa's last journey into the fourth round came back in 2016 despite having gone all the way to the 2015 final before being thumped by Arsenal. It has been 24 years since the Villans last won an FA Cup game away against another Premier League side and Emery will want to see his team put a goalless EPL draw against Everton behind them.
Christopher Nkunku, Lesley Ugochukwu, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia and Reece James are all out injured while Nicolas Jackson remains with Senegal on Africa Cup of Nations duty. Pochettino could get Malo Gusto back after the EFL Cup game and the Blues could even go for an unchanged XI with Noni Madueke and Conor Gallagher included.
Bertrand Traore is on AFCON duty while Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings remain long-term absentees. Lucas Digne could miss out again but Pau Torres, Jacob Ramsey and Robin Olsen are all expected to return. Moussa Diaby could drop out for Chelsea target Jhon Duran to partner Ollie Watkins while Matty Cash could return after his Boro winner.
Chelsea will remain without Christopher Nkunku, but he and Malo Gusto could both return for the Premier League showdown with Liverpool next week.
All of Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Romeo Lavia, Robert Sanchez, Lesley Ugochukwu and Wesley Fofana are still out, while Pochettino has a "massive" decision to make over whether or not to start vice-captain Ben Chilwell for the second time in only four days following his recent return from more hamstring trouble.
Trevoh Chalobah continues to build up his fitness after a long-term injury. Nicolas Jackson, meanwhile, remains away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.
Villa remain without the likes of Pau Torres and Jacob Ramsey for this game, with Lucas Digne, Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia sidelined long-term. Rumoured Chelsea transfer target Jhon Duran is also out, while Bertrand Traore is with Burkina Faso at AFCON.
Overcoming a defeat in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals, the Blues thrashed Championship Middlesbrough 6-1 in the second leg played at the same venue on Tuesday night.
Mauricio Pochettino's men have won five of their last six games in all competitions, overshadowing a poor run in the Premier League so far.
Meanwhile, top-four in the English top flight, Unai Emery's Aston Villa will look to keep their treble hopes alive as they also made it to the Conference League knockouts this term.
Nicolas Jackson is representing Senegal at the African Cup of Nations, but there are also many injury concerns for Pochettino to deal with otherwise.
All of Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Romeo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku, Robert Sanchez, Trevoh Chalobah and Lesley Ugochukwu are unavailable through injury.
Ben Chilwell recently marked his return from a hamstring injury, with Malo Gusto and Conor Gallagher also available for selection.
Emery will remain without the injured trio of Emiliano Buendia, Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne , while Bertrand Traore is with the Burkina Faso national team at the AFCON.
The likes of Pau Torres and Youti Tielemans have participated in training lately, with Robin Olsen and Jacob Ramsey also nearing their return to action, but for now to be counted as doubts.
Ollie Watkins, Douglas Luiz, and Moussa Diaby are likely to start on Friday, although Emery may be tempted to push Jhon Duran ahead of Diaby in attack.
Cole Palmer who has been on tremendous form for Chelsea since he joined from Manchester City scored a brace against Boro. He has now scored nine goals and made seven assists in 22 games in all competitions for the Blues.
Maurico Pochettino is now at his third club in English soccer in Chelsea, having previously managed Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. However, he is yet to win a trophy in England -- his only trophies as a manager came when he was at Paris Saint-Germain.
They face an Aston Villa side who are surprisingly title contenders in the Premier League. They are in fourth place and just five points off the leaders Liverpool. Chelsea are way down in ninth in the division.
Villa have also defeated Middlesbrough recently but not as emphatically as the Blues did. Matty Cash struck late on to send the Villans through to this round of the FA Cup.
Winning the Premier League may still be a bit too much for this Aston Villa side. However, they still have chances of silverware in the FA Cup and Europa Conference League this season. Unai Emery has done a very good job at Villa Park but faces the challenge of fixture congestion in the second half of the campaign.
The Blues cruised past Preston while Villa edged beyond Middlesbrough to set up this fixture, with Chelsea putting Boro to the sword in their Carabao Cup semi-final tie.
Mauricio Pochettino's side thumped the Championship outfit 6-1 on Tuesday night to book their place at Wembley.
However, there's little time for Chelsea to celebrate with Villa coming to town on Friday. Unai Emery's men downed the Blues at the Bridge in September, although they were aided by Malo Gusto's red card.
Pochettino could soon welcome back the likes of Trevoh Chalobah, Robert Sanchez, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu, but none are expected to feature on Friday night.
Chelsea will be keen to get one over Emery's men after they were beaten in their first Premier League meeting of the season and they've won their last nine games at the Bridge in all competitions.