Chelsea head coach Graham Potter has delivered his verdict on Aston Villa and Steven Gerrard ahead of Premier League clash.
The Blues face a trip to Villa Park on Sunday afternoon as they look to continue their good form under new boss Potter.
It has been a run of five unbeaten for Chelsea following the departure of Thomas Tuchel.
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Alongside two wins and a draw in the Champions League, Potter's side have also won twice in the Premier League.
They defeated Crystal Palace 2-1, and last weekend they convincingly beat Wolves 3-0 at Stamford Bridge.
READ MORE: Meet Graham Potter's barbed: The man who has given the Chelsea head coach a 'glow up'.
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The midweek win against AC Milan in Europe will have further boosted the west London sides momentum but they did suffer one big setback.
Reece James picked up an injury and it has been revealed to be worse than initially feared. As well as missing the upcoming games for the Blues, James is set to be out for the World Cup in Qatar.
On top of the wing-back not being available, Potter has also shared that both N'Golo Kante and Wesley Fofana remain out for this one.
By not having these players at his disposal, the contest is going to be a tough one for Potter and his side.
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While Villa have not started the season particularly strongly, they are unbeaten in their last four in the league.
They sit 16th in the table though, and Gerrard has come under fire for their poor performances. When addressing the media, Potter was questioned about his opposition.
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He said: “The margins are very small as we’ve said in the Premier League. I’m sure Steven will want to improve the results and will be looking to this game to try to do that.
"Had they beaten Nottingham Forest they would have gone above Liverpool, so that shows you how quickly things can change."
Potter continued: "We have to make sure we’re ready for the challenge. In the Premier League, there is always someone under pressure.
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"At the moment it’s Steven but he has the quality and experience and will come through I’m sure.
"So he has to make sure we’re good ourselves and with the greatest respect, not worry to much about Aston Villa and concentrate on ourselves.”
Topics: Chelsea, Graham Potter, Premier League, Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard
Sam Collins