Chelsea vs Aston Villa // 3:00pm // 27th March (EPL)

Peyton Manning

VS

Stamford Bridge, London
Saturday 27th March, 2010
Kick Off: 3:00pm

Kits:


Please see this thread for any relevant streams, and be careful with SPOILERS from other matches. Thank you, come again!

*******************************************************

Big day in the title race today, as Arsenal travel to an impressive Birmingham, United travel to the Reebok and a tricky Bolton side, and Chelsea host Aston Villa in arguably the best (potential) fixture of the three. It's been an entertaining fixture in recent years, and with Villa pushing for that lucrative 4th Champions League place and Chelsea looking to go top, everything is at at stake.

Team News:

Aston Villa
Villa will be hoping that Gabby Agbonlahor can recover from a toe injury, while Heskey, Milner and Dunne will all be assessed before kick off having all suffered achilles injuries. Nigel Reo-Coker and Marlon Harewood are both out.

Chelsea
Ricardo Carvalho's ankle ligament injury rules him out for several weeks, while Essien, Bosingwa and Ivanovic are all carrying knee injuries. Ashley Cole also misses out with an ankle injury.

Form

Aston Villa: D W D W D D
Chelsea: L W L W D W

Match Facts (courtesy of BBC)

• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last seven home league games against Villa (W5, D2) since a 3-1 defeat in May 2002.
  
• Villa can win the double over Chelsea for the first time in 20 years.
  
• Managers Carlo Ancelotti and Martin O'Neill went head-to-head in the Champions League group stage in autumn 2004. Ancelotti's AC Milan beat O'Neill's Celtic 3-1 in the San Siro before a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park. Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov played for Celtic in both matches.
  
• Chelsea are vying for successive league wins for the first time in two months.
  
• They are the division's top scorers this season with 75 goals in 31 games.
  
• They have gained 15 points from losing positions this season, more than any other club in the division.
  
• Didier Drogba has scored 10 goals in eight league matches since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.
  
• Villa have the only unbeaten Premier League record in 2010. However, they have drawn seven of their 10 matches this year.
  
• They have the joint best defensive record in the top flight, alongside Manchester United, conceding 25 goals.

Having said that...........

C'mon Villa!!!

MagicMarker

If Milner and Agbonlahor play then I can see Chelsea dropping points today.

killwill

Hopefully Dunne and Milner are fit. If so I see Villa taking a share of the spoils. Add Agbonglahor's pace too and Villa could take all 3 points. COME ON VILLA!!!!!!!

Dave!

Come on Villa

Kev_ps3

2/3-1 Chelsea. Villa arnt playing well atm.

invinciblePRSTV

Villa are due a hammering this season and i fear today is the day our poor recent form will be exploited by a Chelsea team eager to prove their title credentials.

3-0 to Chelsea

3hn2givr7mx1sc

C'mon the draw!

Le King

Chelsea by a few today for me.

Mr Alan

this game on the box?

V9

Setanta Ireland I believe

Johner

Have a good feeling about today.

applehunter

Comfortable victory for Chelsea.

3-0 is about right.

DazMarz

Tricky and difficult fixture against a very good side, so I wouldn't be holding my breath for an easy one. But with any luck, home advantage will prevent another double over Chelsea this season. 2-1 or so will do nicely.

Headshot

Drogba not starting

Johner

Bollox.

MementoMori

Dunne, Milner and Gabby all starting for Villa.
Drogba only on the bench

From the BBC

1419: Chelsea v Aston Villa line-ups:
Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Zhirkov, Deco, Mikel, Lampard, Joe Cole, Anelka, Malouda.
Subs: Turnbull, Drogba, Ballack, Kalou, Sturridge, Bruma, Van Aanholt.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Milner, Petrov, Sidwell, Ashley Young, Carew, Agbonlahor.
Subs: Guzan, Downing, Delfouneso, Davies, Salifou, Beye, Cuellar.
Referee: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)

MementoMori

Downing on the bench and Sidwell starting.
MON looking to battle a bit in midfield.

Raekwon

Luke Young starting at rightback.........MON must of been reading the Villa thread on boards

Esse85

I applaud MON on that starting 11

ctrl-alt-delete

Pat Dolan on Setanta "Carew is fond of the lapdancing clubs"

a few minutes later the other chap says "as regards John Carew that's Pat Dolans personal view"




Looking forward to this game, good to see Agbonlahor has made it.

ShamoBuc

Should be a good game but I can only see a Chelsea win , probably 2-0 or 3-1.

JPA

I reckon Gabby will go right side in a 4-5-1.

matrim

JPA wrote: »

I reckon Gabby will go right side in a 4-5-1.

That's what it looks like for the first couple of minutes anyway

RandolphEsq

'mon Villa, do United a favour

ntlbell

drogba on the bench?

RandolphEsq

ntlbell wrote: »

drogba on the bench?

Trying to show they aren't a one man team

RandolphEsq

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

homer simpson

lampard 1 - 0 chelsea :D:D

ntlbell

soft goal.

mon villa

flahavaj

Aw f*ck off Villa you bunch of bottlers.:mad:

Johner

**** yeah.

MementoMori

Bad goal to give away by Villa defence.
Warnock in particular should have done better.
Lampard with Malouda assist.

PHB

There was a time when Chelsea scored it just meant game over. That's not the case anymore and hopefully Villa know that.

MementoMori

PHB wrote: »

There was a time when Chelsea scored it just meant game over. That's not the case anymore and hopefully Villa know that.

Don't know Villa don't really look very cutting up front with Gabby out on the right.

If Chelsea don't give away a goal from a set-piece I'd be surprised if they don't win it.

Even without Drogba Chelsea have put the Villa back-line under pressure a couple of times already.

BERBA

table should look nice tonight with spurs 7 points clear of villa and pool . nice !:D

Mr Alan

BERBA wrote: »

table should look nice tonight with spurs 7 points clear of villa and pool . nice !:D

You'll need more than that with the fixtures you's have coming up

BERBA

Mr Alan wrote: »

You'll need more than that with the fixtures you's have coming up

We'll take our chances mate ...nice cushion to have on 2 of our 3 rivals for 4th spot

MementoMori

Odds on Sidwell getting sent off?

Been involved in a fair few incidents already.

Getting a bit spicy.

flahavaj

BERBA wrote: »

table should look nice tonight with spurs 7 points clear of villa and pool . nice !:D

I'd dearly love Spurs to get fourth just to further the Scousers' misery but every time you post I change my mind a little more.

Worst poster on the board tbh.

ntlbell

obi should be off.

I've seen this movie before.

MagicMarker

What a goal!!

Kev_ps3

Get the fuk in:D:D

ntlbell

GET IN!!!

Headshot

PHB wrote: »

There was a time when Chelsea scored it just meant game over. That's not the case anymore and hopefully Villa know that.

PHB will you stop being right all the time

adamski8

Ref is doing great i think, letting the game be a bit physical for a change and its making it more interesting, pity all the players are soft whiny girls

matrim

Get in there Carew

MementoMori

Jeez 1-1

Goal out of nothing.

More bad defending.

Still fancy Chelsea to win this.

Johner

zhirkov you plank. shocking.

JPA

adamski8 wrote: »

Ref is doing great i think, letting the game be a bit physical for a change and its making it more interesting, pity all the players are soft whiny girls

Ya, I love a good elbow in the face. :rolleyes:

BERBA

flahavaj wrote: »

I'd dearly love Spurs to get fourth just to further the Scousers' misery but every time you post I change my mind a little more.

Worst poster on the board tbh.

Good ol crouchy , just stating a fact mate , 7 pts clear of the pool tonight!

MementoMori

Good work by Malouda.

Chelsea still look a lot more potent.