Chelsea V Aston Villa: Saturday 17th October at 3PM

by **Sandie** Mon Oct 12, 2015 2:41 pm

The international break is nearly over so that means we'll be back in action this weekend. I'm not sure that everyone will agree that it's good to be back following how we've started the season.

We face Chelsea, a team who have started nearly as badly as we have with pressure mounting on Mourinho they're one of the cluster of teams four points clear of us just ahead of the relegation zone. A Villa win might just see us earning Mourinho the sack for a second time. Wouldn't it be great? Obviously, Mourinho is not the only manager in this encounter who's under pressure. If we believe the press leaks he's been given two games to save his job. Anything less than one win from these two games and he's supposedly out of the door.

In spite of their difficulties, Chelsea are not much different from the team who claimed the title last season, they just seem to have a couple of players who haven't really done it as well as last season so they can be very dangerous to us. It will be difficult but perhaps our players will fight harder than ever to save the manager's hide? Perhaps Chelsea will continue the frailties that have seen them start so poorly?

So what will it be? Win, lose or draw?

by **Sandie** Mon Oct 12, 2015 2:42 pm

Someone has to do it, so I'm going to be the one that predicts a shock 1-0 win for us.

Gestede to score.

by South London Villan Tue Oct 13, 2015 12:26 pm

My brother is going with his boy and ever since he has started taking him to games our results have been atrocious. Needless to say his first game was in August 2011 and well, say no more.

Ivanovic got injured on International duty and will force a change that Jose was unwilling to make, can't see us getting a thing here and I hope we don't suffer another crushing blow at the Bridge.

by **Sandie** Tue Oct 13, 2015 2:21 pm

Feel for your nephew. He won't be the only one out there who has never seen us be decent. Even if we widen the scope of things a bit, there will be fans who the best they've seen is O'Neill's team and his three consecutive 6th places. We aren't exactly the most compelling advert for younger fans not to glory hunt.

Wonder what kind of weird and wonderful selection Sherwood will come up for this one? This article is interesting if it suggests his intentions: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/11924364/Tim-Sherwood-fighting-to-save-Aston-Villa-job-as-crunch-matches-against-Chelsea-and-Swansea-loom.html

Villa will face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next weekend, followed by what already looks a crucial home game against Swansea, and Sherwood is set to drastically shake up his squad with the likes of Jack Grealish, Carles Gil and even Charles N’Zogbia poised for recalls.

N'Zogbia, 29, infuriated Villa fans last week with a tweet about his earnings but will be in contention for a starting place when he returns to full fitness. He has not played since the 4-0 defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup Final at Wembley.

Adama Traore, the £7million summer signing from Barcelona, could also be involved after impressing in two behind-closed-doors friendlies this week.

So that's three players he should have considered and one who's been completely out of the picture. Unlikely to see all of them in the same lineup.

Knowing Sherwood, Gabby might make an appearance.

by GadgetMan Tue Oct 13, 2015 4:15 pm

I'm going for a 4-0 defeat and an end to the Sherwood reign. Chelsea will run into form sometime soon and we're great at being the side that helps teams do that. Add to that our recent woes at Stamford Bridge and I can't see past a mauling. If it brings change and the right change then so be it.

by **Sandie** Tue Oct 13, 2015 6:03 pm

Diffucult to believe we had a terrific record at Stamford Bridge up to about five years ago.

by GadgetMan Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:44 am

Sandie wrote:Diffucult to believe we had a terrific record at Stamford Bridge up to about five years ago.

That 8-0 still haunts me. affraid

by **Sandie** Wed Oct 14, 2015 2:40 pm

Me too.

I actually looked it up earlier and something that struck me was the side we had out:

Guzan
Lowton
Baker
Clark
Lichaj
Westwood
Herd
Bannan
Weimann
Benteke
Holman

Subs were Bennett, Ireland and Bowery. People talk about us having a poor and inexperienced side now but we have heaps more quality than that side, and I'd argue that squad. There are quite a few 'I forgot he played for us' players in that side too.

by avfcff1982 Wed Oct 14, 2015 4:58 pm

Another week, another deflating result? I'm guessing it will be a 3 - 0 loss for us.

I'm not being negative or, defeatist, just realistic, and unfortunately I have a complete lack of confidence in what starting line up Sherwood will shock us with, and what tactics he will confound us with.

It's really discouraging to have type this sort of stuff, and if there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it's just our manager looking for guidance in the dark.

by **Sandie** Wed Oct 14, 2015 6:11 pm

Even if we were doing well I wouldn't be expecting too much from this one.

by avfcff1982 Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:34 pm

Sandie wrote:Even if we were doing well I wouldn't be expecting too much from this one.

That a Tim Sherwood Quote?

by **Sandie** Fri Oct 16, 2015 2:12 pm

Injury news: http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~5073408,00.html

Gabby Agbonlahor and Ciaran Clark are both out of our trip to Chelsea.

Tim Sherwood delivered the injury update in his pre-match press conference.

Agbonlahor came off at half-time in the League Cup win over Blues.

The long-serving striker hasn't featured since.

Clark was absent from the defeat to Stoke with a calf injury and has failed to recover.

Sherwood also revealed he will run the rule over the fitness of Carlos Sanchez, who only returned from international duty late on Thursday.

He said: "Gabby is not fit. Ciaran is still injured too.

"Carlos only came back last night. We will have to assess how he is.

"He's fit but obviously will be very fatigued."

In good news, Sherwood said Jack Grealish and Adama Traore had benefitted greatly from intense workouts during the past two weeks.

Grealish and Traore played in two practice matches in this period - and Sherwood was very happy with their performances.

He continued: "There are a few players who missed pre-season - Jack Grealish, for instance.

"Adama has been out for a long period of time.

"We have used this international break to get them fit.

"We have had two games behind closed doors - they played in both. They have done very well."

Sherwood also spoke of his delight at the progress of Jores Okore, even if the centre-half isn't quite fit enough to take part.

He added: "Jores is training a lot more now. But he's not quite ready to play."

by South London Villan Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:41 pm

We need Carlos to play and not Westwood. I am sure he wasn't flying Ryanair, he probably had one of those lovely bed/seat thingy's we normally see when looking left and peering through the curtain.

by GadgetMan Fri Oct 16, 2015 7:20 pm

If both Gana and Veretout don't start I riot....Seriously though, we need to see these boys start.

If we lose I don't think too many people will be surprised, interested to see the reaction should we either win or lose heavily. Could be two extremes!!

by **Sandie** Fri Oct 16, 2015 7:56 pm

Pre game stats: http://www.fourfourtwo.com/statszone/8-2015/matches/803243/pre-match#:amQMh311wRqZbA

Jose Mourinho has never lost successive home league games as a manager.
Aston Villa have lost four Premier League games in a row by a one-goal margin; no side has ever done this in five consecutive matches.
12 of the 23 teams to be 16th after eight Premier League games (as Chelsea are now) have been relegated, while no side has finished higher than fifth (Everton 2008/09).
Chelsea have conceded at least two goals in seven of their eight Premier League games this season (the other game was a 2-0 win against Arsenal).
Only Sunderland (18) have conceded more Premier League goals than Chelsea (17) this term.
Branislav Ivanovic has scored five Premier League goals against Aston Villa; against no other side has he netted more than twice.
Ivanovic has scored 20 PL goals in total; only one player with 20+ goals in PL history has scored a higher percentage against one club than he has v Villa (Ivanovic 25% v Villa, Luke Moore 30% v Middlesbrough).
Villa have not kept a PL clean sheet at Stamford Bridge since March 1998, conceding 30 times in their last eight at the West London venue.
Tim Sherwood's side have scored in their last nine away league games; the longest current run in the top-flight.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have scored in their last 23 home league matches; also the longest current run of its kind in the Premier League.

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