Thomas Tuchel has rung the changes tonight as Chelsea play host to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup. Even with a rotated squad, though, the Blues are still hot favourites for both the next round and the EFL Cup itself. Make sure you know how to watch a Chelsea vs Aston Villa live stream wherever you are in the world.
The team news is in and Timo Werner starts up front with Saul Niguez and Ziyech in support in the Tuchel's wing-back system. Romelu Lukaku is on the bench but Kante starts as captain.
Kick off: 7.45pm BST / 2.45pm ET
Location: Stamford Bridge, London
Free trial: Kayo
Watch anywhere: ExpressVPN
US stream: ESPN+
AUS stream: BeIN Sports / Kayo
UK: Not on TV
The Chelsea boss is keen to get the game closed out as quickly as possible tonight and has the regulars in reserve if needed. The team is riding high after the weekend's comprehensive victory over London rivals Spurs and the Blues boss will be hoping that his decision to rest Thiago Silva and Mason Mount in the EFL will pay off.
Villa have had a mixed start this season but their home win over Everton will have brought a much-needed confidence to the dressing room. Ashley Young, Marvelous Nakamba and Kortney Hause start. Manager Dean Smith will need as many options as he can get.
Chelsea showed their different approaches at the weekend when a key change in the midfield turned the Blues into a side that Tottenham simply couldn't deal for the second 45.
Out-competed in the first half, the addition of N'Golo Kante made their XI are far tougher opponent. That's a card that Tuchel could play against Villa should a change of tactic be required – quite the advantage to have over his opposite number. After all, bringing on arguably the world's best defensive midfield is not something that most teams can do.
It's a 7.45pm BST kick-off (2.45pm ET) today. Sadly, the match is not on UK TV but read on to find out how to watch a Chelsea vs Aston Villa live stream wherever you are in the world.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa live stream for free
Those in Canada, Austria, Spain, Germany, Andorra, Italy, Spain, San Marino and Switzerland can catch the action on sports streaming service DAZN which offers a free trial as well as some fairly low monthly prices.
The length of trial and price will depend on your region but the service also promises access to many other sports including UFC, F1 and other domestic and continental football competitions. Well worth a try.
Another great free trial option is for those based in Australia who can tune into the coverage on BeIn Sports by using streaming service Kayo. Kayo offers a 14-day free trial. Cancel at any time.
Going to be outside the country at the time of the match? You can use a VPN to watch DAZN or Kayo from abroad as if you were back at home in Canada, Australia or those selected European countries.
Watch a Chelsea vs Aston Villa live stream abroad using a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant Carabao Cup rights holders, you won't be able to use them when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
here are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the NFL, you may wish to choose 'Canada' to access DAZN.
3. Then head over to DAZN on your browser or device and enjoy a Chelsea vs Aston Villa stream.
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US: Chelsea vs Aston Villa live stream
ESPN is the Carabao Cup rights. You can catch Chelsea vs Aston Villa on ESPN+ which can be viewed through the EPSN+ app on all good smart platforms.
Subscription to ESPN+ costs just $5.99 per month or $13.99 per month as part of a triple threat with Disney+ and Hulu which represents an excellent deal for a tonne of sports and entertainment content.
Going to be outside the country at the time of the match? You can use a VPN to watch ESPN+ from abroad as if you were back at home in the States.
AUS & NZ: Chelsea vs Aston Villa live stream
You can watch Chelsea vs Aston Villa in Australia and New Zeland on beIN Sport. The subscription service has the rights to show Chelsea vs Aston Villa, with the game kicking off at 4.45am AEST and 6.45am NZT. It should be finishing up in time for your cornflakes.
If you're a Foxtel customer, you can add beIN to your TV package for a small fee. If not, you can subscribe to beIN Sports and watch on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. Even better, beIN offers a free two week trial. You can cancel it at any time. If you don't cancel, it automatically renews at a cost of $19.99 per month.
You can also get BeIn through Kayo which includes a 14-day free trial.
Carabao Cup fixtures
All games to be played on Wednesday 22nd September
7.30pm: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Swansea City
7.45pm: Arsenal vs AFC Wimbledon
7.45pm: Chelsea vs Aston Villa
7.45pm: Manchester United vs West Ham United
7.45pm: Millwall vs Leicester City
7.45pm: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Tottenham Hotspur
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