Aston Villa 0 - 2 Chelsea

[ZAPHOD2319 4,819]

PRE/POST-MATCH DISCUSSION, LIVE CHAT AND ANALYSIS

 

Sunday 16th October 2022
Premier League
Villa Park

2pm Kick Off (UK Time)

[Tomo 21,751]

They're an absolute eyesore under Gerrard but competitive in big games and got a recent draw against City.

Won't be as easy as the form of both suggests it should be.

[Pizy 18,918]

Seen lots of Villa supporters including Chelsea reporter Matt Law complaining about how shit they are and how it’s far worse now than it was when Dean Smith was sacked. So in the form we’re in this theoretically should be a straightforward 3 points.

But with Reece unlikely to play it won’t be easy. Azpi starting instead makes us much easier to defend against.

[frew ball 0]

Hi

I'm a Chels member currently living in Brum. Does anyone have a spare ticket I could buy off them for Sunday's game?

Cheers Alex

(COYB, celery)

[ZAPHOD2319 4,819]

It has been so long since we walked in and took easy 3 points with swagger, I am too gun shy to imagine it.

[Reddish-Blue 2,507]

This game has draw written all over it, would love to see us turn up and get the 3 points but I don't see it happening against a side that is hard to break down.  

[milka 3,393]

they always turn against us so  so don't expect an easy win

1:2/0:1/1:1 

[Mhsc 1,097]

So no Fofana and no Reese James, do Villa have fast players to punish us down their left / our right? Chalobah will have to step up and play well, I guess. Good test for Potter this, very interested what approach he takes with the team if Reese James is out for a while - Azpi every game can't / won't be the answer, so what will be I wonder?

I was curious if we could try playing both Chilwell and Cucu and have one of them play on the wrong side like an inverted winger, similar to many years ago when we moved Azpi to play LB.

[Vesper 30,185]

3 hours ago, Mhsc said:

do Villa have fast players to punish us down their left / our right?

actually, not in a massive way at all

AMF/CMF
Jacob Ramsey  (has pace but is more of a CMF atm)

Wingers
Leon Bailey   (pacey but very erratic)
Philippe Coutinho   
Emiliano Buendía  

Ollie Watkins  (pacey CF)
Danny Ings  

[Vesper 30,185]

On 14/10/2022 at 12:20, Reddish-Blue said:

This game has draw written all over it, would love to see us turn up and get the 3 points but I don't see it happening against a side that is hard to break down.  

I will lose my mind if we draw or lose

[Vesper 30,185]

RB options instead of Azpi

Ben Chilwell  
Conor Gallagher   
Ruben Loftus-Cheek  
Carney Chukwuemeka   
Christian Pulisic  

recall

Dujon Sterling

[Pizy 18,918]

Must win game in order to keep within touching distance of the current top 3.

Lots of Villa supporters have soured on Gerrard and are calling for his job. They’ve apparently been playing some awful football this season. But due to Reece being out I think this will be a tight, slog of a match with them setting out to really frustrate us. So hopefully the players have the same desire to dominate this game as they did the Milan ones. Cannot afford to fall further behind.

Even though we’re currently sitting 4th with games in hand on the others above us, the table is pretty grim reading for us. We are already MILES behind in goal difference and goals scored.  It’s straight up embarrassing to see clubs with 10 or 20 more goals scored than us and +10-20 goal difference compared to us just 8 games into the season with the squad we have.

Absolutely imperative that we continue to beat sides like Wolves, Palace, and now Villa before we start playing the big boys.

Edit- and btw, I see we have Brentford midweek who are solid again this season with Toney scoring twice again yesterday and then United a week from now. So even more mandatory to win today. This next 7 days will tell us if we’re a serious team or not.

[nyikolajevics 2,700]

Cucurella LCB! Will be interesting..

 

let’s smash them, I love to see Gerrard’s “I have no idea what to do” panic face, remind me on same face he made when looking at Demba Ba 10 years ago.

[YorkshireBlue 3,277]

2 minutes ago, nyikolajevics said:

Cucurella LCB! Will be interesting..

 

let’s smash them, I love to see Gerrard’s “I have no idea what to do” panic face, remind me on same face he made when looking at Demba Ba 10 years ago.

You know he's already played Cucurella at LCB right? Lol 

[Pizy 18,918]

So is it a back 3 with Cucu at CB and RLC RWB? Interesting.

Looks like Villa have either gone for maximum pace and pressing with Ings, Bailey, and Watkins or they’re sitting deep and hoping those 3 can spring lightning counters. Either way it should be a real test for a makeshift back line.

[Laylabelle 9,535]

1 hour ago, Pizy said:

Must win game in order to keep within touching distance of the current top 3.

Lots of Villa supporters have soured on Gerrard and are calling for his job. They’ve apparently been playing some awful football this season. But due to Reece being out I think this will be a tight, slog of a match with them setting out to really frustrate us. So hopefully the players have the same desire to dominate this game as they did the Milan ones. Cannot afford to fall further behind.

Even though we’re currently sitting 4th with games in hand on the others above us, the table is pretty grim reading for us. We are already MILES behind in goal difference and goals scored.  It’s straight up embarrassing to see clubs with 10 or 20 more goals scored than us and +10-20 goal difference compared to us just 8 games into the season with the squad we have.

Absolutely imperative that we continue to beat sides like Wolves, Palace, and now Villa before we start playing the big boys.

Edit- and btw, I see we have Brentford midweek who are solid again this season with Toney scoring twice again yesterday and then United a week from now. So even more mandatory to win today. This next 7 days will tell us if we’re a serious team or not.

Least we've come out the minus goal difference..for now anyway...

[LAM09 7,056]

RLC back at RWB. The moment James gets injured, we're in big trouble down the right. 

I have no idea how we went through another window without buying a backup.

[Pizy 18,918]

6 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

RLC back at RWB. The moment James gets injured, we're in big trouble down the right. 

I have no idea how we went through another window without buying a backup.

100% on Tuchel for adamantly putting his foot down and blocking Azpi’s move to Barca. We absolutely would’ve brought someone in but Tuchel strongly told us all that he felt Azpi was still good enough.

[LAM09 7,056]

1 minute ago, Pizy said:

100% on Tuchel for adamantly putting his foot down and blocking Azpi’s move to Barca. We absolutely would’ve brought someone in but Tuchel strongly told us all that he felt Azpi was still good enough.

I thought the reason behind Azpi's failed move had more to do with Barcelona's financial problems. Was that nonsense then?

[Pizy 18,918]

3 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

I thought the reason behind Azpi's failed move had more to do with Barcelona's financial problems. Was that nonsense then?

Nah, apparently is was all verbally agreed but I remember Tuchel getting publicly annoyed at Barca in a presser he had and forcefully said that Azpi must stay at all costs basically. Said he was far too important to the squad to lose after we already lost Rüdiger and AC.