Maresca Keeps Focus On Chelsea Clash With Aston Villa Amid Semenyo Links

Chelsea prepare to face Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge with Enzo Maresca stressing full attention on the Premier League contest, while transfer speculation continues around Antoine Semenyo and other targets, and with captain Reece James emerging as a central figure in the push for Champions League qualification.

The two clubs are separated by only one position and five points in the Premier League table, giving this meeting extra weight for Chelsea’s top-four hopes, especially with several rivals closing the gap and Villa arriving in strong form after recent impressive attacking displays.

Maresca was pressed on Chelsea’s reported interest in Bournemouth forward Semenyo, yet the head coach insisted that attention remains on Aston Villa rather than

January business, saying: "I'm focused on Aston Villa. Not on players who can arrive and leave, Maresca told reporters when asked about the links to Semenyo.I'm in love with the squad we have. "

Semenyo has started the 2025-26 Premier League season strongly for Bournemouth, scoring eight league goals so far, a tally bettered only by Igor Thiago with 11 and Erling Haaland with 19, and those numbers have increased discussion over a possible transfer away from Vitality Stadium.

The 25-year-old forward reportedly has a £65m release clause that clubs can activate in January, and reports have linked Manchester City and Liverpool with interest, though suggestions indicate both Manchester United and Chelsea have stepped back from pursuing a deal at this stage.

Maresca also fielded questions about Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers, who delivered a standout display in Villa’s victory over Manchester United on Sunday, and whose current form has drawn comparisons with several of the league’s leading attacking midfielders this season.

Rogers has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other English player across the opening 17 matchdays, contributing seven goals and three assists, and the Aston Villa player could become only the third from the club to score two or more goals in three straight Premier League games, after Dean Saunders in 1992 and Dion Dublin in 1998.

Asked whether Rogers would be preferable to Cole Palmer in Chelsea’s line-up, Maresca offered a firm response, stating: "No. Because I love Cole and Cole is my player," underlining Palmer’s importance to Chelsea’s current structure ahead of the match with Aston Villa.

2 - Morgan Rogers is the first Aston Villa player to score 2+ goals in back-to-back Premier League appearances since Dion Dublin in November 1998 (3 in a row). Cold. pic.twitter.com/nFhLeaLwaoOptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 21, 2025

Chelsea Aston Villa Premier League form, Reece James and key numbers

Chelsea’s recent home record against Aston Villa has been mixed, with two defeats in the last three league meetings at Stamford Bridge, although the Blues did claim a 3-0 victory in this exact fixture in December of the previous season, offering some encouragement for Maresca’s squad.

Reece James could again be crucial for Chelsea after a powerful free-kick at Newcastle United helped turn a 2-0 deficit into a 2-2 draw, and the captain’s growing attacking influence now matches an upturn in fitness and consistent availability across all competitions.

James has scored two league goals this campaign, equalling the combined total from the previous three Premier League seasons, where the defender registered one in 2022-23, none in 2023-24 and one in 2024-25, while offering leadership and defensive stability from the right side.

The England international has appeared 26 times in all competitions this season, with only six Chelsea players featuring more often, and that run of matches has allowed James to build rhythm, maintain conditioning and increase presence within the dressing room as captain.

Maresca outlined why the club values James so highly, explaining: "He is growing in terms of leadership, and he is playing more and more minutes. This is the reason why we are happy because he can be fit and healthy. We know he can be here as a leader. He is one of the main players for different reasons. He's from our house. Academy player. He is the captain. When he is fit, he is one of the best players we have, no doubt. For me, he is one of our main players. "

Key attacking and scoring figures heading into the Chelsea versus Aston Villa Premier League clash can be summarised as follows:

Player	Club	Season	Premier League goals	Premier League assists	Notes
Antoine Semenyo	Bournemouth	2025-26	8	-	Third-highest scorer behind Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago
Igor Thiago	-	2025-26	11	-	Second in Premier League scoring chart
Erling Haaland	-	2025-26	19	-	Top Premier League scorer
Morgan Rogers	Aston Villa	2025-26	7	3	Most goal involvements among English players after 17 matchdays
Reece James	Chelsea	2025-26	2	-	Matches previous three seasons’ combined league total

There was further positive news for Chelsea with Maresca confirming that Estevao and Liam Delap, who both missed the last two matches because of injuries, are expected to return to the matchday squad for the Aston Villa game, adding extra attacking depth from the bench.