Aston Villa vs. Chelsea: Unai Emery's side with chance to end 42-year streak in crucial Premier League showdown

Aston Villa can end a 42-year streak when they play host to Chelsea on Wednesday night.

The Premier League fixture in the West Midlands has the potentially to prove decisive in the race for Champions League qualification.

Villa welcome the Blues to their home ground sitting in fourth position and holding a six-point advantage over them in the Premier League table.

Both teams enter this fixture on the back of a defeat, with Villa losing 2-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday and Chelsea going down 2-1 at Arsenal on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Villa have put themselves into a position where they can end a 42-year wait against the West Londoners.

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Villa with chance to end two long-standing streaks against Chelsea

After coming from behind to register a 2-1 win over Chelsea on December 27, Villa have the opportunity to end two long-standing unwanted streaks.

Villa can record three successive league triumphs versus Chelsea for the first time since a run of four ended in 1984.

Meanwhile, Villa are remarkably bidding to record their first-ever Premier League double over Chelsea.

Although Chelsea are winless in their last two league games to be played at Villa Park, they have not lost successive league matches at Villa since between 2002 and 2004.

Chelsea hold a dismal record when it comes to midweek matches in the Premier League, losing eight of their last 10 such games.

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Will Abraham come back to haunt Chelsea?

Over four-and-a-half years since his permanent transfer away from Chelsea, Abraham is facing his former club for the first time.

The academy graduate contributed 30 goals and 12 assists from 82 appearances in a Chelsea shirt before moving to Roma.

In 209 minutes spread across six matches at Villa this season, the 28-year-old has netted twice, both goals coming at Villa Park against Newcastle United and Leeds United respectively.