Chelsea vs. Aston Villa: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info

Jose Mourinho says Chelsea have lost their fear factor at home.

Speaking ahead of Aston Villa's visit to Stamford Bridge this weekend, the Chelsea manager explained that teams are no longer afraid of traveling to west London and, given his team's form this season, should feel confident they can get a result.

"I've thought about it [and] it's normal," he said on Friday.

"One thing is to go to a stadium where you know there is a huge percentage of defeats for the away team, while another thing is to go to a stadium where you know in the last four matches, the home team only won one.

"So I think it's normal that confidence levels of getting a good result are high. That's normal and this makes our job difficult because confidence levels are very important, and I really believe that every team coming now to Stamford Bridge, they don't fear us and they think they can get a result."

Well, regardless of Chelsea's poor start to the season, Aston Villa's has been even worse.

Tim Sherwood's men haven't won a league game since the opening day of the season and sit in the Premier League's relegation zone.

To make matters worse, Villa have picked up three points away to Chelsea just twice since the turn of the century, coming in May 2002 and December 2011.

On each occasion, the Villans won 3-1, which by coincidence was the scoreline in Chelsea's last outing at home when they lost to Southampton to take them into the international break.

Mourinho's men remain the overwhelming favourites in this game, though. Despite Mourinho's comments to the contrary, Villa will not be relishing a trip to west London on the back of four league defeats in a row.

We're expecting a backlash from Chelsea now the international break is over, and more than ever, the reigning Premier League champions need a result to get their season up and running.

They've been too bad for too long, and things need an improvement.

Mourinho will be hoping his players go some way to restoring that fear factor this weekend.

Match Details

Date: Saturday, October 17

Time: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET

Venue: Stamford Bridge, London

TV Info: Match of the Day (10.30pm, BBC1, UK only)/NBC Sports (U.S. only)

Live Stream: NBCSN (U.S. only)

Last 5 games

Sept. 19	Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal
Sept. 23	Walsall 1-4 Chelsea
Sept. 26	Newcastle United 2-2 Chelsea
Sept. 29	Porto 2-1 Chelsea
Oct. 3	Chelsea 1-3 Southampton

Sept. 13	Leicester City 3-2 Aston Villa
Sept. 19	Aston Villa 0-1 West Bromwich Albion
Sept. 22	Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City
Sept. 26	Liverpool 3-2 Aston Villa
Oct. 3	Aston Villa 0-1 Stoke City

Predicted lineups

Diego Costa returns for Chelsea having served his three-match ban, but Branislav Ivanovic will miss out after picking up a hamstring injury while on international duty with Serbia.

Thibaut Courtois remains a long-term absentee, meaning Asmir Begovic will keep his place in goal.

As for Aston Villa, Jore Okore and Gary Gardner are definitely out, while doubts remain over Gabby Agbonlahor, Adama Traore and Ciaran Clarke.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Rahman; Loftus-Cheek, Fabregas; Pedro, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa

Southampton (4-2-3-1): Guzan; Bacuna, Richards, Lescott, Amavi; Westwood, Gana Gueye; Sinclair, Grealish, Gil; Gestede

Key players

Diego Costa

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

He attracts enough attention as it is, but what with this weekend being Diego Costa's first game back from his ban, all eyes will be on him at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have lacked any real presence up front since he was suspended, with Radamel Falcao not doing a good job of leading the line against Southampton.

Even when not scoring, Costa causes major problems with his physicality, and he'll provide a big test for Joleon Lescott and Micah Richards.

That said, Costa's season just hasn't got going. He's only scored twice—by this stage last term, he had nine goals—and his ban has held things back further.

He has a real point to prove, much like the rest of this Chelsea team, and there's no time like the present to set the record straight.

Rudy Gestede

Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

Graziano Pelle showed last time out that Chelsea's defence struggles to cope with a big powerful forward.

Now, Rudy Gestede isn't a Pelle clone by any stretch, but he can cause problems and, when it comes to his aerial presence, is a massive threat.

If Villa can play to those strengths, Gestede will be presented with an excellent opportunity to exploit Chelsea's struggling rearguard.

They've conceded an average of two goals every game this season, so there are certainly goals to be had if Villa can get at them.

Prediction

Chelsea 4-1 Aston Villa

Odds

Home Win: -400

Away Win: +900

Draw: +500

First Goalscorer: Diego Costa (7/2)

*Home/Away win and draw odds via Odds Shark, goalscorer odds via OddsChecker

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes