Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: PeterWithesShin on December 27, 2025, 07:25:17 PM
-
Never in doubt.
11 in a row. 8 in a row in the league. 17 wins out of 19.
Ollie was magnificent and changed the game. Sancho also excellent.
-
Wow.
-
Lost for words. Literally. It’s stunning that we find a way every time to win games. The resilience amongst this group is just astonishing.
-
Can we believe?
-
Amazing result. Ollie makes such a difference.
-
Chelsea handed their John Bumstead on a plate.
-
Rope-a-dope city. Chelsea absolutely shell shocked
-
Absolutely magnificent last 30 minutes, when we eventually turned up they couldn't live with us...
-
11 wins in a row is, I believe, a new club record.
-
Our subs better than theirs.
All 3 were outstanding.
Game of 2 halves
-
A walk in the park.
-
Major credit to Watkins and Sancho.
-
The 3 subs of Ollie, Onana and Sancho were exceptional when they came on, totally changed the game. Chelsea looked like they were out on their feet in the last 10-15, not the first time we've had a team looking on the ropes late in the 2nd half recently.
-
Holy fucking shit. This team is incredible.
-
One more point and we get to the magic 40...
-
Amazing!
Both the xG believers and haters are going to lose their minds!
-
1-2 was a flattering score in the end
-
I am so emotional.
I am head over heels in love with this MAGNIFICENT Aston Villa team
-
Wx11
-
Fantastic energy conservation!
What a second half!!!
Ollie superb.
Sancho on the right at last!
What a Manager we have!
-
The subs were great but we weren't as bad in the first half as everyone said.
Notice the ref did his job as soon as that ****** with the hair went off.
Sky Sports and Alan Smith can get fucked the biased ******.
-
I don't know what this is, but I love it.
-
11 wins in a row is, I believe, a new club record.
Equals it I think. 1913-14 was 11.
-
I cant fucking believe it
Fucking get in !!
-
That was amazing. As soon as we decided to turn up the gas they simply could not cope. Fantastic.
-
Did not see that second half performance coming in a million years. This team is something else.
Brilliant to see Watkins back to his best.
-
Just brilliant.
Picture on the Beeb of Little Emi celebrating next to Unai. Love that.
-
Actually unbelievable!
-
Wow! What a team!! I love them!!
-
Chelsea into 5th with that loss. Who the fuck is this on Sky?
-
Watkins, Onana and Sancho completely changed that game. Unai got it wrong first half (although did he? Did he really? I’m fucked if I know) but those subs were genius.
-
Jingle Bells.
-
Unbelievable turn round after 60 mins. Up to that point we were dismal. After the subs we were brilliant.
The three subs changed the game completely as all three made excellent contributions. I am really pleased for Ollie because he has looked so out of sorts this season. Surely that will re energise him and bring back his confidence. Massive win.
-
I lke a bit of tension in my telly, but...that was one of the worst 55 miutes of football we have played all season, followed by some heart and lung busting performances that turned a dead match on it's head. Keep believing you Villa boys!
-
Watkins, Onana and Sancho completely changed that game. Unai got it wrong first half (although did he? Did he really? I’m fucked if I know) but those subs were genius.
Was about to say the same. Those three totally took the game away from Chelsea. They couldn't cope. We could of scored 4 in that second half and it wouldn't of flattered us.
-
speechless ..I will come back
-
Villa give Utd and Chelsea a stuffing at Christmas....about time
-
Straight 10 for Watkins. He does that for 60 mins every game and he is a shoe in for the world Cup squad.
We were dreadful in the 1st half and World class from 55 mins onwards, this team is something special. Real chance of top 4 again, that and the Europa League.
-
We absolutely mugged them! Emery has played a blinder! I was happy to get 2-3 points from this and Tuesday's game, so the next game is a free hit, in my view.
-
Unbelievable, what a time to be alive. I'll be boring my grandkids about this run one day.
-
Wow - just Wow!
That was unreal!
Well done unai the triple change - changed the game.
Well done Ollie - he was at his unplayable best!
What a fucking time to be alive!!
-
Onana came on and youri pushed to Buendia position.
-
Five straight wins away from home having to come from behind. Do better Villa.
-
At in laws and sneaked a watch of the first half on a wholly legal stream on the internet. A game of 2 halves then!!!!!???? Get in!
-
I did not see that coming after that wretched first half. Incredible.
For all the talent they have, Chelsea are so flimsy when put under pressure.
-
Unbelievable, what a time to be alive. I'll be boring my grandkids about this run one day.
That's it, isn't it? This doesn't happen very often.
-
We absolutely mugged them! Emery has played a blinder! I was happy to get 2-3 points from this and Tuesday's game, so the next game is a free hit, in my view.
No, let's get that club record!
-
Ollie will get the most plaudits for the goals and Sancho was tricky and exciting to watch but Onana was the key sub for me, their midfield wilted as soon as he was in there putting himself about and giving some niggle back. Bogarde cam on and did the same as well and in fact I think the biggest mistake tonight was to leave that sub a little too late, I'd have taken Kamara off 10 minutes earlier because it only needed 1 mistimed tackle and he was getting booked and Onana was in control by that point so we could afford to make the change.
-
We absolutely mugged them! Emery has played a blinder! I was happy to get 2-3 points from this and Tuesday's game, so the next game is a free hit, in my view.
No, let's get that club record!
It’s not a free hit, it’s there to be won.
-
Lacklustre up until the substitutions, but superb after that. Watkins looked a real threat when he came on.
-
This team. Amazing.
-
The mad thing for me is even when we go behind I just have this feeling we can come back - this has to be the best performing team in my 50+ years.
-
Great win, superb 2nd half….this is brilliant.
-
Well, that was alright :)
We absolutely mugged them! Emery has played a blinder! I was happy to get 2-3 points from this and Tuesday's game, so the next game is a free hit, in my view.
No, let's get that club record!
It’s not a free hit, it’s there to be won.
Absolutely this. I want something’s flesh.
-
Wow, our subs changed the game. Breathtaking last 30 minutes. 7 points ahead of 4th. Sad that we lose Cash and Bouba for Arsenal though.
-
Any point against Arsenal and im going to start believing
-
Wow, our subs changed the game. Breathtaking last 30 minutes. 7 points ahead of 4th. Sad that we lose Cash and Bouba for Arsenal though.
It is, but I'm going to look on the bright side and say a little rest will do them good, as the pair of them have racked up a lot of minutes this season.
-
Think we’re safe now, and not even played half of our games yet.
-
I’m not quite old enough to remember the atmosphere around the club in 81 and 82 but l post that surely this is our apex.
-
Ollie saying Emery masterclass...Youri to 10, Morgan out wide with Sancho, Bogey and Onana sat behind....boom...
-
The mad thing for me is even when we go behind I just have this feeling we can come back - this has to be the best performing team in my 50+ years.
Just posted similar.
-
Unbelievable turnaround really. Could hardly get out of our half until the subs. Chelsea collapsed once we equalised. Outstanding winner from Watkins. Even Sancho made a big impact! Thought Cash was outstanding even when we were on the ropes. Back 4 did really well.
Martinez 5 - soft for their goal and bottled coming for another cross just after half time that could have finished us
Cash 8 - silly yellow but that aside bullied Garnacho and used the ball well.
Konsa 7 - solid once again at the back
Lindelof 7 - we really miss Torres ability to play out but nothing wrong with how he defended
Maatsen 7 - took a lot of criticism on match thread but I thought he battled really well against Neto
Kamara 6 - first half passed him by but improved a lot in second half
Tielemans 5 - traffic cone in midfield until moved into 10, much better after that
McGinn 6 - quiet first half but harsh sub I thought, saved a certain goal
Buendia 5 - a bit meh, would have like him to swap with Rogers
Rogers 7 - the one to get us playing I thought, lovely assist for Watkins
Malen 3 - big issue was in midfield but he gave us absolutely nothing up front
Watkins 10 - destroyed them. Deserved the bit of luck for the first but that was a truly outstanding winner. Hold up play, everything was at his very best.
Onana 7 - not his biggest fan but added some much needed presence in midfield
Sancho 8 - fuming when he was brought on but some seriously good touches on both flanks
Digne and Bogarde - Digne was fine but Bogarde was excellent when he came in. Decisive in everything he did.
-
Breathless.Speechless. Subs changed it,Onana bossed it.Special mention for Bogarde; I think we have a hell of a player there.
-
I’m not quite old enough to remember the atmosphere around the club in 81 and 82 but l post that surely this is our apex.
I'm starting to feel the same things I did in 1981 .
-
The mad thing for me is even when we go behind I just have this feeling we can come back - this has to be the best performing team in my 50+ years.
Yeah, me too. It was a very odd thing, but half time I thought “ah well, doesn’t matter cos we’ll get at least 2 in the second half”. And lo, we did.
This Villa team is just bloody incredible.
-
After the last two games, Unai anticipated the high press so we played the long ball in first half.
Second half, we played out from the back.
Chelsea didn't know if they were coming or going.
We had a replacement for Bailey all along. Brilliant Sancho, Ollie and Onana.
Well done lads. Fucking remarkable.
-
Haven't felt this confident since a run we went on under SGT the year we were runners-up. Felt then we would beat anyone home or away. It's been a long time...
-
Fucking hell.
-
Congratulations Ollie Watkins. He needed that.
Brilliant subs. Sancho also did well.
-
11 wins in a row is, I believe, a new club record.
Equals it I think. 1913-14 was 11.
- Aston Villa 11 wins in a row 11, equaling its all-time record from 1897 and 1914.
-
An Emery masterclass. Let them run like fuck for 60 mins & then bring on the big boys to win the game.
A brilliant result & 30 mins of elite football.
-
The mad thing for me is even when we go behind I just have this feeling we can come back - this has to be the best performing team in my 50+ years.
Yeah, me too. It was a very odd thing, but half time I thought “ah well, doesn’t matter cos we’ll get at least 2 in the second half”. And lo, we did.
This Villa team is just bloody incredible.
I was there in 81/82 and believe me the tension hasn't even started yet! The "Do you want to bet against us?" is not upon us yet
-
Brilliant result, well done Villa and especially Unai, what a masterclass in how to get a game perfect in both timing and strategy, of course you don't play Ollie in the first half, he wouldn't have gone the full 90, you give ollie the best chance when Chelsea are knackered, not forgetting Arsenal in a few days, Unai knew Chelsea would come at us like something gone mad 1st half, so the gamble was to run the legs off them, hopefully get in at half time 0-0 or 1-0 down, we did it, then he changed the shape of the team to win, then you bring on Ollie (fresh legs) Onana to shore up the midfield push Tielemans forward and you break them, they had nothing left, Moresco must have been thinking WTF is Unai doing at half time, now he's thinking have I got a job.
Brilliant win and players slightly rested for Arsenal.
-
If we could get a Rashford/Asensio style transfer window then who knows how far we could take this.
-
An Emery masterclass. Let them run like fuck for 60 mins & then bring on the big boys to win the game.
A brilliant result & 30 mins of elite football.
That's it isn't it? I fucking love that man.
-
The mad thing for me is even when we go behind I just have this feeling we can come back - this has to be the best performing team in my 50+ years.
Yeah, me too. It was a very odd thing, but half time I thought “ah well, doesn’t matter cos we’ll get at least 2 in the second half”. And lo, we did.
This Villa team is just bloody incredible.
I was there in 81/82 and believe me the tension hasn't even started yet! The "Do you want to bet against us?" is not upon us yet
Me too
I keep telling my son and daughter’s partner to drink it in and enjoy it. 3 years under MON was great but this is different gravy.
Arsenal will bottle it. City are the real issue. Both have bigger and better squads than us but we have the master Unai
-
Brilliant result, well done Villa and especially Unai, what a masterclass in how to get a game perfect in both timing and strategy, of course you don't play Ollie in the first half, he wouldn't have gone the full 90, you give ollie the best chance when Chelsea are knackered, not forgetting Arsenal in a few days, Unai knew Chelsea would come at us like something gone mad 1st half, so the gamble was to run the legs off them, hopefully get in at half time 0-0 or 1-0 down, we did it, then he changed the shape of the team to win, then you bring on Ollie (fresh legs) Onana to shore up the midfield push Tielemans forward and you break them, they had nothing left, Moresco must have been thinking WTF is Unai doing at half time, now he's thinking have I got a job.
Brilliant win and players slightly rested for Arsenal.
This coaching lark is easy innit
-
THIS TEAM, THIS MANAGER.
-
I preferred the 80/81 league season...
:P
-
The mad thing for me is even when we go behind I just have this feeling we can come back - this has to be the best performing team in my 50+ years.
Yeah, me too. It was a very odd thing, but half time I thought “ah well, doesn’t matter cos we’ll get at least 2 in the second half”. And lo, we did.
This Villa team is just bloody incredible.
I was there in 81/82 and believe me the tension hasn't even started yet! The "Do you want to bet against us?" is not upon us yet
Me too
I keep telling my son and daughter’s partner to drink it in and enjoy it. 3 years under MON was great but this is different gravy.
Arsenal will bottle it. City are the real issue. Both have bigger and better squads than us but we have the master Unai
Rudy us old gits will be just as excited as the youngers won't we?
-
It’s pretty remarkable to have been so bad in the first half and have the capacity to win from there, at one of the toughest places to go in the league. Just remarkable.
-
First half, good defending but generally awful.
After 60 minutes Chelsea looked like Rabbits in headlights, we battered them.
Ollie was excellent, creating havoc for them.
Onanna was immense.
Could we?
-
Ollie will get the most plaudits for the goals and Sancho was tricky and exciting to watch but Onana was the key sub for me, their midfield wilted as soon as he was in there putting himself about and giving some niggle back. Bogarde cam on and did the same as well and in fact I think the biggest mistake tonight was to leave that sub a little too late, I'd have taken Kamara off 10 minutes earlier because it only needed 1 mistimed tackle and he was getting booked and Onana was in control by that point so we could afford to make the change.
Spot on Paul. Onana was a huge influence.
Im just a bit bloody zen now, like what the actual f**k is this run with this team. I dont expect us to beat Arsenal on Tuesday..,,but…
-
We closed the game out well tonight as well. My heart rate was at minor heart attack stage rather than full on cardiac as it is normally !
-
All that conserving energy in the first half played dividends as Chelsea ran themselves out
Then give them a sound thrashing in the second half
easy
-
Mine eyes have seen the glory, those eyes are a bit misty
-
All that conserving energy in the first half played dividends as Chelsea ran themselves out
Then give them a sound thrashing in the second half
easy
Like Paul on the Road to Damascus!
-
Side note; was Sanchez even booked for handling it outside of the area?
-
Onana made all the difference for me. Of course it wasn't everything but him stepping into everything in the middle third was vital.
And to shove it up Sky. Appalling bias again and a funeral reaction, with grudging praise from Smith. We weren't beat at HT, nor were we world beaters after but the slant towards the home side was embarrassing.
-
Still can’t believe it. Wow!
Think the last comparable WTF transformation I’ve watched on screen was seeing From Dusk til Dawn at New St Odeon. Ollie Watkins playing the Salma Hayek role.
-
Watkins half hour was the best I've seen from a Villa "number 9" type centre forward for a while, he proper worked them over
-
I’m not quite old enough to remember the atmosphere around the club in 81 and 82 but l post that surely this is our apex.
This is far better than 81/82. The level of consistency these guys are playing at is far better.
-
I’m not quite old enough to remember the atmosphere around the club in 81 and 82 but l post that surely this is our apex.
This is far better than 81/82. The level of consistency these guys are playing at is far better.
Problem is 2 other teams are better than Ipswich
-
Still no idea why Kamara got booked. Probably prompted by that hairy ****** who ran the game until he was subbed.
-
Couldn’t celebrate Ollie’s winner because my six week old was asleep on my shoulder. She’s seen us win 10/10 games since she was born. I’ll be boring her with this story for many years to come hopefully.
-
We finished 11th in 81/82 and changed manager, i'd prefer not to have a league repeat. I'll take winning a European trophy though!
-
Helped by the mad Maresca substitutions.
But what a turnaround.
-
Ollie will get the most plaudits for the goals and Sancho was tricky and exciting to watch but Onana was the key sub for me, their midfield wilted as soon as he was in there putting himself about and giving some niggle back. Bogarde cam on and did the same as well and in fact I think the biggest mistake tonight was to leave that sub a little too late, I'd have taken Kamara off 10 minutes earlier because it only needed 1 mistimed tackle and he was getting booked and Onana was in control by that point so we could afford to make the change.
Spot on Paul. Onana was a huge influence.
Im just a bit bloody zen now, like what the actual f**k is this run with this team. I dont expect us to beat Arsenal on Tuesday..,,but…
Thirded - Onana was immense.
What a performance in the second half. They seemed to belatedly twig that we hadn't been totally engaged for the first 60 minutes, but hilariously, not until they had withdrawn their best players.
-
Helped by the mad Maresca substitutions.
But what a turnaround.
It’s got Chelsea fans calling in demanding John Terry take over or bring back Frank. All marvellous.
-
Still no idea why Kamara got booked. Probably prompted by that hairy ****** who ran the game until he was subbed.
Interestingly the ref eventually got fed up of their play acting and fouling.
Some really poor decisions.
-
Helped by the mad Maresca substitutions.
But what a turnaround.
Taking off Palmer was odd. Their midfield collapsed late on.
-
Helped by the mad Maresca substitutions.
But what a turnaround.
It’s got Chelsea fans calling in demanding John Terry take over or bring back Frank. All marvellous.
Cash on a booking against Steptoes, Palmer their most creative player, Cuccerala ( the horrible little shit ) was dominating their left hand side.
Bizarre
-
I said to our whattsapp chat at half time 'im going to stick my neck out and say we'll win this'. As much as we didn turn up in the first half and the sloppy goal aside, we defended really well. Onana was superb when he came on but all three subs made a difference really.
-
What a night. This team are special. Could not see that at half time. Our subs changed the game. The Chelsea subs made them a mess. Long day. Long drive back to come but who cares after that...
-
Couldn’t celebrate Ollie’s winner because my six week old was asleep on my shoulder. She’s seen us win 10/10 games since she was born. I’ll be boring her with this story for many years to come hopefully.
My dad propped me up in front of the telly when I was a couple of weeks old to watch the final against Bayern Munich. Had got my gran to knit me a claret & blue jumper for the occasion.
Forcing her to watch the Villa right now is responsible parenting. She’ll thank you when she’s older.
-
We don’t want to get carried away, but one has to ask if what Aston Villa are doing is in fact some kind of dark magic, threatening the very fabric of existence and putting the entire universe at risk.
This 2-1 victory at Chelsea was Villa’s sixth win from behind this season. Nobody else has more than three. Six wins is as many of any kind as Newcastle or Spurs have fashioned all season. Villa’s points per game for the whole season is 2.17; that drops only as far as 2.00 for games where they fall behind. These are already absurd numbers
But remember, Villa didn’t register their first win until game six of the season. So the run is actually six wins from behind in their last 13 Premier League games. And you can make those numbers more ridiculous still, if you absolutely must: this is the fifth win from behind in their last six Premier League away games.
We therefore choose our next words very carefully, acknowledging this is a team that has won 4-3 at Brighton from 2-0 down and 3-2 at West Ham having trailed both 1-0 and 2-1 in the first half: this is the most absurd victory yet for Unai Emery’s title-race-bothering upstarts.
It is impossible to overstate just how one-sided the first half of this game was. Chelsea’s control was entire and absolute, leaving only two mysteries.
The first, more prosaic, mystery: how the only goal they had to show for it came off Joao Pedro’s backside as Emi Martinez decided to fight everyone rather than deal with a Reece James corner.
The second mystery? How on earth were Villa going to end up winning 2-1, as they surely would, after a first half like that? We would eventually get the solution to that one, at least.
Chelsea swarmed all over the visitors from the first whistle. Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto were proving near impossible to contain and even Alejandro Garnacho was having moments.
Villa, for their part, were offering less than nothing. Their first-half performance here really was as bad as we’ve seen from anyone, anywhere this season. Sure, Villa have spent the last few months gleefully confounding xG, but they went in to the half-time break here lucky to have 0.00 in their column while allowing 1.96 at the other end. To be fair, backside efforts from six inches out will presumably score highly with the boffins.
Villa have proved repeatedly that xG can go whistle as far as they’re concerned, but even their number-baiting doesn’t generally extend to the almost total numerical void that was their first half here: having no shots at all, only a few touches in the opposition box and, perhaps most damningly of all, only four completed passes in the entire attacking third of the pitch.
This was a side that looked like it was finally going to blink in the face of once again trying to keep up with the relentless winning pace being set by their two more seasoned campaigners in what is now without doubt a three-horse title race.
We should never have doubted them.
The game spun around entirely on a trio of Aston Villa substitutions just before the hour mark. Off went the ineffective Emi Buendia, the invisible Donyell Malen and John McGinn, who struggled with the pace of the game throughout but who made one vital contribution just before being withdrawn when sliding in to concede a corner and deny Garnacho a tap-in from Palmer’s low cross.
On came Ollie Watkins, who would score both goals, Amadou Onana and Jadon Sancho. The speed and totality of the turnaround was enough to make your head spin.
In the 10 minutes that followed, Villa not only pulled level through a – if we’re being honest – rather fortunate ricochet off Robert Sanchez’s initial save, but had five further attempts on goal, all of them forcing Sanchez into saves, while enjoying 78 per cent possession and more touches in the Chelsea box than they’d managed in the entire first half.
Yes, there was some good fortune about the goal. But the point is that Villa had already earned such fortune by buying themselves a lottery ticket. Watkins’ goal was not even the first clear chance he had in his first few minutes on the pitch.
And his header for a winner that had long attained a sense of inevitability was sure and true. Victory extends Villa’s current Premier League winning run to eight matches. It’s the longest winning run any team in the league has managed throughout 2025, a stat which is to our mind only improved by remembering the second longest winning run belongs to Wolves.
The sheer faith Villa retained in their proven ability to get out of any situation at any time on any ground will surely never have a sterner test than this. The first half was utterly miserable; the second entirely majestic.
They are a baffling team now achieving astonishing things and they don’t look like they’re remotely finished f*cking with everybody, either. Their trip to Arsenal to round out 2025 already looks like it could have vast repercussions for what 2026 looks like. You would rule absolutely nothing out at this stage.
As for Chelsea, they must just feel punch-drunk. The speed with which their full control of this game was whipped out from under them was dizzying and confusing.
It is neither a novel nor particularly interesting point to note that they really could do with a handful of older, more experienced players to help prevent this kind of incident. Chelsea blowing a winning position isn’t quite as frequent a sight as Villa exploiting a losing one, but nobody has now dropped more points this season when leading than Enzo Maresca’s callow side.
What was a few weeks ago a title fight is now a Champions League scrap with Liverpool and whoever else can hold themselves together for long enough. Heaven help us, that might even now be Man United.
But for Villa the opposite. The undignified squabbling over mere qualification for the Big Cup is beneath them now. Ten points beneath them.
They still trail two formidable opponents, but if there’s one thing clear about this Villa team it’s that this is not something they will allow to concern them.
-
Sanchez handball twice outside the box should be 2 yellow cards and a red. Enzo and Cucurella both lucky to escape without 2 yellows each. Cash gets yellow 1 foul, Enzo 4 fouls and only gets yellow for dissent, Cucurella f all. And ref "coincidentally " booked our 2 players who were both on 4 yellows so now miss Arsenal game.They really try hard to stop us get top 4 don't they.
-
Oh and that booking for Rogers was absolutely ridiculous. Its as if the ref totally ignored Reece James and was just watching Morgan. Abysmal.
-
Oh and that booking for Rogers was absolutely ridiculous. Its as if the ref totally ignored Reece James and was just watching Morgan. Abysmal.
He booked them both.
-
I can confidently watch the Villa be second best for the first half and think that we will win. We have often created little in the first half and expended the minimum of energy then on 60 minutes Unai makes changes and we dominate.
Watkins was exceptional today, also Onana did a great job, in Unai we have an exceptional coach.
-
I don't know what this is, but I love it.
To quote an old live music review of a bunch of dandies - "Like forcibly being plugged into an orgasmatron".
-
Five straight wins away from home having to come from behind. Do better Villa.
Is this a world record?
-
At in laws and sneaked a watch of the first half on a wholly legal stream on the internet. A game of 2 halves then!!!!!???? Get in!
Why bother? We're a second half tram.
-
The mad thing for me is even when we go behind I just have this feeling we can come back - this has to be the best performing team in my 50+ years.
No, it was '80/'81.
-
At in laws and sneaked a watch of the first half on a wholly legal stream on the internet. A game of 2 halves then!!!!!???? Get in!
Why bother? We're a second half tram.
On track to win the league
-
Side note; was Sanchez even booked for handling it outside of the area?
Looked like his second time to me. They nearly scored from his first offence. Not 100% sure, but it was close and of course they didn’t show a replay.
-
"Go and fuck them up"
(https://scontent-lhr6-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/607255631_1488760185940619_2045318611096975582_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg_s960x960_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=uUYFbGs6vc4Q7kNvwGh6csz&_nc_oc=AdkxjIO601kUMjEea94dc0pnQFfZOuBmE0C6JGSRLXO9pG_JuhkeitwxRNf9mZmWUhw&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr6-2.xx&_nc_gid=LVfCUyiE2m7hIEB2pKIazg&oh=00_AfkAGLRvi02OFIufFXEQhUpTv0RTsoHhVXXZXHOrAJTzdQ&oe=6956289E)
-
I wonder what the record is for having individual players score two goals in consecutive games?
-
Sanchez handball twice outside the box should be 2 yellow cards and a red. Enzo and Cucurella both lucky to escape without 2 yellows each. Cash gets yellow 1 foul, Enzo 4 fouls and only gets yellow for dissent, Cucurella f all. And ref "coincidentally " booked our 2 players who were both on 4 yellows so now miss Arsenal game.They really try hard to stop us get top 4 don't they.
I was screaming about Sanchez first time and no one mentioned it. But then Smith did when he transgressed the second time. What a fucking wanker.
-
All that conserving energy in the first half played dividends as Chelsea ran themselves out
Then give them a sound thrashing in the second half
easy
Like Paul on the Road to Damascus!
Think he's from Winchester.
-
Side note; was Sanchez even booked for handling it outside of the area?
Looked like his second time to me. They nearly scored from his first offence. Not 100% sure, but it was close and of course they didn’t show a replay.
In keeping with the general poor refereeing today. The Rodgers/James issue, Fernandez, etc
-
I don’t know how to handle this. Total head loss.
-
Oh and that booking for Rogers was absolutely ridiculous. Its as if the ref totally ignored Reece James and was just watching Morgan. Abysmal.
He booked them both.
I dont remember him booking James.
-
Chelsea will investigate where a plastic bottle that showered the Aston Villa bench in water was thrown from after the Midlands club reported the incident.
-
Oh and that booking for Rogers was absolutely ridiculous. Its as if the ref totally ignored Reece James and was just watching Morgan. Abysmal.
He booked them both.
I dont remember him booking James.
He flashed the card twice.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c3e0kddvznyt.app#Line-ups
-
Chelsea will investigate where a plastic bottle that showered the Aston Villa bench in water was thrown from after the Midlands club reported the incident.
Unai is such a genius he even knew to keep his coat on this week.
-
Oh and that booking for Rogers was absolutely ridiculous. Its as if the ref totally ignored Reece James and was just watching Morgan. Abysmal.
He booked them both.
I dont remember him booking James.
He flashed the card twice.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c3e0kddvznyt.app#Line-ups
Yep. But Sky kept the camera on our boy. There's a thing
-
"Go and fuck them up"
(https://scontent-lhr6-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/607255631_1488760185940619_2045318611096975582_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg_s960x960_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=uUYFbGs6vc4Q7kNvwGh6csz&_nc_oc=AdkxjIO601kUMjEea94dc0pnQFfZOuBmE0C6JGSRLXO9pG_JuhkeitwxRNf9mZmWUhw&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr6-2.xx&_nc_gid=LVfCUyiE2m7hIEB2pKIazg&oh=00_AfkAGLRvi02OFIufFXEQhUpTv0RTsoHhVXXZXHOrAJTzdQ&oe=6956289E)
Ollie is generally shite and sulky when coming on. He was like a bull when he came on today. tuned in right from his first touch.
-
I don’t know how to handle this. Total head loss.
Could be worse. Boxing Day (well, St Stephen's Day) 10 years ago Villa drew at home to West Ham. Check out this embarrassment...
Aston Villa are now winless in 17 Premier League games - only four teams have ever had a longer run in the division (Derby 32, Sunderland 26, Norwich 21 and Nottingham Forest 19 - QPR also had a run of 17).
From her "Lady Karen Brady" Twitter account, came the in-match missive "At Aston Villa...never seen a home team get SO excited about winning a corner before!"
-
We don’t want to get carried away, but one has to ask if what Aston Villa are doing is in fact some kind of dark magic, threatening the very fabric of existence and putting the entire universe at risk.
This 2-1 victory at Chelsea was Villa’s sixth win from behind this season. Nobody else has more than three. Six wins is as many of any kind as Newcastle or Spurs have fashioned all season. Villa’s points per game for the whole season is 2.17; that drops only as far as 2.00 for games where they fall behind. These are already absurd numbers
But remember, Villa didn’t register their first win until game six of the season. So the run is actually six wins from behind in their last 13 Premier League games. And you can make those numbers more ridiculous still, if you absolutely must: this is the fifth win from behind in their last six Premier League away games.
We therefore choose our next words very carefully, acknowledging this is a team that has won 4-3 at Brighton from 2-0 down and 3-2 at West Ham having trailed both 1-0 and 2-1 in the first half: this is the most absurd victory yet for Unai Emery’s title-race-bothering upstarts.
It is impossible to overstate just how one-sided the first half of this game was. Chelsea’s control was entire and absolute, leaving only two mysteries.
The first, more prosaic, mystery: how the only goal they had to show for it came off Joao Pedro’s backside as Emi Martinez decided to fight everyone rather than deal with a Reece James corner.
The second mystery? How on earth were Villa going to end up winning 2-1, as they surely would, after a first half like that? We would eventually get the solution to that one, at least.
Chelsea swarmed all over the visitors from the first whistle. Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto were proving near impossible to contain and even Alejandro Garnacho was having moments.
Villa, for their part, were offering less than nothing. Their first-half performance here really was as bad as we’ve seen from anyone, anywhere this season. Sure, Villa have spent the last few months gleefully confounding xG, but they went in to the half-time break here lucky to have 0.00 in their column while allowing 1.96 at the other end. To be fair, backside efforts from six inches out will presumably score highly with the boffins.
Villa have proved repeatedly that xG can go whistle as far as they’re concerned, but even their number-baiting doesn’t generally extend to the almost total numerical void that was their first half here: having no shots at all, only a few touches in the opposition box and, perhaps most damningly of all, only four completed passes in the entire attacking third of the pitch.
This was a side that looked like it was finally going to blink in the face of once again trying to keep up with the relentless winning pace being set by their two more seasoned campaigners in what is now without doubt a three-horse title race.
We should never have doubted them.
The game spun around entirely on a trio of Aston Villa substitutions just before the hour mark. Off went the ineffective Emi Buendia, the invisible Donyell Malen and John McGinn, who struggled with the pace of the game throughout but who made one vital contribution just before being withdrawn when sliding in to concede a corner and deny Garnacho a tap-in from Palmer’s low cross.
On came Ollie Watkins, who would score both goals, Amadou Onana and Jadon Sancho. The speed and totality of the turnaround was enough to make your head spin.
In the 10 minutes that followed, Villa not only pulled level through a – if we’re being honest – rather fortunate ricochet off Robert Sanchez’s initial save, but had five further attempts on goal, all of them forcing Sanchez into saves, while enjoying 78 per cent possession and more touches in the Chelsea box than they’d managed in the entire first half.
Yes, there was some good fortune about the goal. But the point is that Villa had already earned such fortune by buying themselves a lottery ticket. Watkins’ goal was not even the first clear chance he had in his first few minutes on the pitch.
And his header for a winner that had long attained a sense of inevitability was sure and true. Victory extends Villa’s current Premier League winning run to eight matches. It’s the longest winning run any team in the league has managed throughout 2025, a stat which is to our mind only improved by remembering the second longest winning run belongs to Wolves.
The sheer faith Villa retained in their proven ability to get out of any situation at any time on any ground will surely never have a sterner test than this. The first half was utterly miserable; the second entirely majestic.
They are a baffling team now achieving astonishing things and they don’t look like they’re remotely finished f*cking with everybody, either. Their trip to Arsenal to round out 2025 already looks like it could have vast repercussions for what 2026 looks like. You would rule absolutely nothing out at this stage.
As for Chelsea, they must just feel punch-drunk. The speed with which their full control of this game was whipped out from under them was dizzying and confusing.
It is neither a novel nor particularly interesting point to note that they really could do with a handful of older, more experienced players to help prevent this kind of incident. Chelsea blowing a winning position isn’t quite as frequent a sight as Villa exploiting a losing one, but nobody has now dropped more points this season when leading than Enzo Maresca’s callow side.
What was a few weeks ago a title fight is now a Champions League scrap with Liverpool and whoever else can hold themselves together for long enough. Heaven help us, that might even now be Man United.
But for Villa the opposite. The undignified squabbling over mere qualification for the Big Cup is beneath them now. Ten points beneath them.
They still trail two formidable opponents, but if there’s one thing clear about this Villa team it’s that this is not something they will allow to concern them.
Love this.
-
I don’t know how to handle this. Total head loss.
Could be worse. Boxing Day (well, St Stephen's Day) 10 years ago Villa drew at home to West Ham. Check out this embarrassment...
Aston Villa are now winless in 17 Premier League games - only four teams have ever had a longer run in the division (Derby 32, Sunderland 26, Norwich 21 and Nottingham Forest 19 - QPR also had a run of 17).
From her "Lady Karen Brady" Twitter account, came the in-match missive "At Aston Villa...never seen a home team get SO excited about winning a corner before!"
can we have some quotes from Lady Brady now please
-
Chelsea manager mentioning the ten point gap in his post match comments. He knows that was a must win, and they lost it! ;D
-
We don’t want to get carried away, but one has to ask if what Aston Villa are doing is in fact some kind of dark magic, threatening the very fabric of existence and putting the entire universe at risk.
This 2-1 victory at Chelsea was Villa’s sixth win from behind this season. Nobody else has more than three. Six wins is as many of any kind as Newcastle or Spurs have fashioned all season. Villa’s points per game for the whole season is 2.17; that drops only as far as 2.00 for games where they fall behind. These are already absurd numbers
But remember, Villa didn’t register their first win until game six of the season. So the run is actually six wins from behind in their last 13 Premier League games. And you can make those numbers more ridiculous still, if you absolutely must: this is the fifth win from behind in their last six Premier League away games.
We therefore choose our next words very carefully, acknowledging this is a team that has won 4-3 at Brighton from 2-0 down and 3-2 at West Ham having trailed both 1-0 and 2-1 in the first half: this is the most absurd victory yet for Unai Emery’s title-race-bothering upstarts.
It is impossible to overstate just how one-sided the first half of this game was. Chelsea’s control was entire and absolute, leaving only two mysteries.
The first, more prosaic, mystery: how the only goal they had to show for it came off Joao Pedro’s backside as Emi Martinez decided to fight everyone rather than deal with a Reece James corner.
The second mystery? How on earth were Villa going to end up winning 2-1, as they surely would, after a first half like that? We would eventually get the solution to that one, at least.
Chelsea swarmed all over the visitors from the first whistle. Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto were proving near impossible to contain and even Alejandro Garnacho was having moments.
Villa, for their part, were offering less than nothing. Their first-half performance here really was as bad as we’ve seen from anyone, anywhere this season. Sure, Villa have spent the last few months gleefully confounding xG, but they went in to the half-time break here lucky to have 0.00 in their column while allowing 1.96 at the other end. To be fair, backside efforts from six inches out will presumably score highly with the boffins.
Villa have proved repeatedly that xG can go whistle as far as they’re concerned, but even their number-baiting doesn’t generally extend to the almost total numerical void that was their first half here: having no shots at all, only a few touches in the opposition box and, perhaps most damningly of all, only four completed passes in the entire attacking third of the pitch.
This was a side that looked like it was finally going to blink in the face of once again trying to keep up with the relentless winning pace being set by their two more seasoned campaigners in what is now without doubt a three-horse title race.
We should never have doubted them.
The game spun around entirely on a trio of Aston Villa substitutions just before the hour mark. Off went the ineffective Emi Buendia, the invisible Donyell Malen and John McGinn, who struggled with the pace of the game throughout but who made one vital contribution just before being withdrawn when sliding in to concede a corner and deny Garnacho a tap-in from Palmer’s low cross.
On came Ollie Watkins, who would score both goals, Amadou Onana and Jadon Sancho. The speed and totality of the turnaround was enough to make your head spin.
In the 10 minutes that followed, Villa not only pulled level through a – if we’re being honest – rather fortunate ricochet off Robert Sanchez’s initial save, but had five further attempts on goal, all of them forcing Sanchez into saves, while enjoying 78 per cent possession and more touches in the Chelsea box than they’d managed in the entire first half.
Yes, there was some good fortune about the goal. But the point is that Villa had already earned such fortune by buying themselves a lottery ticket. Watkins’ goal was not even the first clear chance he had in his first few minutes on the pitch.
And his header for a winner that had long attained a sense of inevitability was sure and true. Victory extends Villa’s current Premier League winning run to eight matches. It’s the longest winning run any team in the league has managed throughout 2025, a stat which is to our mind only improved by remembering the second longest winning run belongs to Wolves.
The sheer faith Villa retained in their proven ability to get out of any situation at any time on any ground will surely never have a sterner test than this. The first half was utterly miserable; the second entirely majestic.
They are a baffling team now achieving astonishing things and they don’t look like they’re remotely finished f*cking with everybody, either. Their trip to Arsenal to round out 2025 already looks like it could have vast repercussions for what 2026 looks like. You would rule absolutely nothing out at this stage.
As for Chelsea, they must just feel punch-drunk. The speed with which their full control of this game was whipped out from under them was dizzying and confusing.
It is neither a novel nor particularly interesting point to note that they really could do with a handful of older, more experienced players to help prevent this kind of incident. Chelsea blowing a winning position isn’t quite as frequent a sight as Villa exploiting a losing one, but nobody has now dropped more points this season when leading than Enzo Maresca’s callow side.
What was a few weeks ago a title fight is now a Champions League scrap with Liverpool and whoever else can hold themselves together for long enough. Heaven help us, that might even now be Man United.
But for Villa the opposite. The undignified squabbling over mere qualification for the Big Cup is beneath them now. Ten points beneath them.
They still trail two formidable opponents, but if there’s one thing clear about this Villa team it’s that this is not something they will allow to concern them.
Love this.
Yep, good fun. Thanks Dave.
-
Gotta love it
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1228927719123643
-
Unexpected, wonderful, stupendous, marvellous. UTFV
-
Couple of things to say - main thing is WHAT a player Amadou Onana is turning into. Completely changed the dynamic of the game (along with Ollie and Sancho). His reading of the game to intercept the ball for our first goal was so intelligent - cut the passing lane they'd been using all game to get through our press. The combination of physicality and technique (similar to Rogers, albeit in a diff position) is pretty unique - cheat code of a footballer. 23 years old!! 50m a snip when you look at the cost of elite CMs around the league nowadays.
He also clearly drives the team spirit of this side along with McGinn and the veterans - future captain material if we keep hold of him IMO.
Second - we have to soak up every second of this team while we're on this amazing run... the best and most resilient and together team Unai has built thus far - we're living in a golden era. Just enjoy it everyone!! So so happy.
-
-
Second half statistics:
https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614 (https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614)
-
Robbie Mustoe has nailed the masterplan
-
Second half statistics:
https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614 (https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614)
2 fouls, 2 bookings for our lads to be suspended.
-
I’m not one for analysis but fuck me Villa are so good and I love it!
-
Robbie Mustoe has nailed the masterplan
He's always a good pundit, but yeah, excellent analysis... it's the same with the long shots.
If you think anything this team does is by accident you clearly don't understand Emery as a manager. Total genius.
-
Yep. But Sky kept the camera on our boy. There's a thing
That's because he's the superstar.
-
I just love Unai’s attitude. We just have to continue to believe in him.
-
Second half statistics:
https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614 (https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614)
2 fouls, 2 bookings for our lads to be suspended.
Absolutely damning stat about the refereeing performance.
-
Second half statistics:
https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614 (https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614)
2 fouls, 2 bookings for our lads to be suspended.
Absolutely damning stat about the refereeing performance.
I thought they were both legitimate bookings to be honest…,,I’ll get my coat obviously
-
Second half statistics:
https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614 (https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614)
2 fouls, 2 bookings for our lads to be suspended.
Absolutely damning stat about the refereeing performance.
If true....... although Cash was booked in the first half and I believe Rogers was booked when the ball was dead so wasn't a foul.
-
Rogers was booked for being held, that was a nonsense.
-
I’m not quite old enough to remember the atmosphere around the club in 81 and 82 but l post that surely this is our apex.
This is far better than 81/82. The level of consistency these guys are playing at is far better.
Difference is that 81/82 won trophies and were v exciting to watch. Hopefully Unai can emulate that
-
Second half statistics:
https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614 (https://x.com/KevHughesie/status/2005012124649574614)
2 fouls, 2 bookings for our lads to be suspended.
Absolutely damning stat about the refereeing performance.
I thought they were both legitimate bookings to be honest…,,I’ll get my coat obviously
Yes, but if the same treatment for similar or worse transgressions had been handed out to Chelsea, I would have no problem.
-
Kamara and Cash got fair-enough bookings - Rogers' was weapons grade bullshit.