Aston Villa v Chelsea Pre-Match Thread

[PeterWithesShin]

Villa Park 21st June 4.15pm KO.

[Louzie0]

I think we will be a touch sharper than Chelsea. I might be clutching at straws here but you can always tell when a team is a week ahead in preseason friendlies. We've had a high intensity game under our belt now. Let's hope that's enough to turn Chelsea over.

This is from the post SU discussion and I agree with aj2k77!

[PeterWithesShin]

BBC

TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa right-back Frederic Guilbert could be involved after a knee injury but Bjorn Engels remains out.

Loanee Danny Drinkwater is ineligible to face his parent club.

Chelsea defender Fiikayo Tomori faces 10 days out because of a muscle injury, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is not fit enough to be involved and Jorginho must complete a two-match ban.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is available for the first time since rupturing his Achilles 13 months ago.

LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Villa's first game back against Sheffield United would have been a great one for them to win given their situation but they did not really do enough.

Yes, they tried to get in and around the Blades but there was no massive urgency.

Dean Smith's side have an advantage in that they have already played once but I am backing Chelsea here. I don't think the Blues will have any problems creating chances, put it that way.

Prediction: 0-2

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Aston Villa have lost nine of the past 10 league meetings, winning the other at home in March 2014.
Chelsea's current five-match winning league streak against Villa is their best in this fixture.
This is the 50th Premier League fixture between the clubs. Chelsea lead by 25 wins to Villa's 12, with 12 draws.

Aston Villa
Dean Smith's side have taken just two points from their last 21 games against the established top-six Premier League sides since beating Spurs away in April 2015.
Villa's midweek draw against Sheffield United ended a run of four straight league defeats.
They can keep consecutive top-flight clean sheets for the first time since goalless home draws against Sunderland and Crystal Palace in December 2014 and January 2015.
A win on Sunday would ensure Villa become just the second team in top-flight history to win a match on all seven days of the week within a season, emulating Tottenham in 1986-87.
Their only victory in the past eight league fixtures came at home to Watford on 21 January.

Chelsea
Chelsea haven't won any of their four Premier League away games in 2020 (D3, L1), having won seven of the previous nine.
The Blues have not won a Premier League match outside of London since beating Watford on 2 November.
They could register successive Premier League victories for only the second time this season. They won six in a row between September and November.
Frank Lampard' side have conceded 39 league goals in the current campaign, as many as in the whole of 2018-19.
Chelsea are vying to keep consecutive league clean sheets for the first time this season.
Lampard only won on four of his 16 Premier League visits to Villa Park as a player (D8, L4). He scored twice in a 2-1 victory on his last appearance there with Chelsea to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer.
Olivier Giroud has scored eight goals in his last six games against Aston Villa in all competitions, all while playing for Arsenal.
Tammy Abraham scored 26 goals in 40 appearances on loan at Villa last season.

[brontebilly]

Wonder could Smith be tempted to drop AEG and go with Samatta up top with Davis? I was happy with how AEG played the other night but it's the kind of game we might need to go direct a bit more. Free up Grealish a bit more.

[Axl Rose]

2-1 Villa.

[ChicagoLion]

We have to take advantage of the extra match fitness.
Lose this and I do not see us getting out of the relegation zone, a point keeps us alive but only just.
This is the situation that makes a mockery of the league and exactly the time you want a full Villa Park.
My prediction 1- 1.

[Steve67]

I hope we are not wide open in midfield but fear we can't play any other way. Will be another hard game for us but hope we are a bit fitter and can press Chelsea a bit more than we did with Sheffield United.  I'm pleased they have no Hudson-Odoi or Jorginho.  We need to start winning games, may as well start tomorrow.

[CT]

Wonder could Smith be tempted to drop AEG and go with Samatta up top with Davis? I was happy with how AEG played the other night but it's the kind of game we might need to go direct a bit more. Free up Grealish a bit more.

Yep, been having similar thoughts on us trying this. For me, AEG and Trez are as average as each other. They’re both capable but just don’t do it often enough.

Get Jack in the middle and let’s win some games.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Do feel the fact that we've played a game is a big advantage. Need to start well.

[villa `cross the mersey]

I have no confidence in this manager nor his squad - can't see where the next win is likely  to come from - unfortunately I fear a few big losses.........Us Nil. Them Two or three

[stubbsyandy]

Wonder could Smith be tempted to drop AEG and go with Samatta up top with Davis? I was happy with how AEG played the other night but it's the kind of game we might need to go direct a bit more. Free up Grealish a bit more.

I agree

[malckennedy]

Need the points desperately but I have to go draw.
1-1 McGinn for us Tammy for them.
It all depends on other results but this could be it . Real fear that's it and down if we lose this one and not even get a point .

Team I think we could pick
Nyland
Elmo
Hause
Mings
Targett
McGinn
Hourihane
Grealish
El-Ghazi
Davis
Trezeguet

Guilbert and Engels I believe are injured and think Elmo may be in for Konsa. Don't want Nyland but I guess Dean keeps him on.
Would like Samatta up there too

Somehow please get a win because we have the extra match sharpness but thinking is  draw at best. However never know and I'll still keep somehow hoping.
Give us the morale booster!
Come on Deano/ Villa please win though !!
Up the Villa!

Referee Paul Tierney - think he was our VAR man v Sheff U!!
VAR this time is Lee Mason.

Why would you drop Luiz? He was clearly motm on Wednesday.

[PaulWinch again]

I wouldn’t drop AEG. He did well the other night and he is one of the few players who has pace.

[Nev]

I would've hoped that with this little mini season Dean would have a crack at teams in order to survive but I think the pragmatist in him is still to the fore. We absolutely need to exploit the talent of Jack further forward and change the formation if needed, throwing caution to the wind in order to win a game would be my preference and may have made the difference on Wednesday had we gone with two up front. Fortune favours the brave.

The counter argument would be the value of a point and clean sheet, first game back and fitness etc etc but we really need wins rather than draws to stay afloat.

As ever I hope I'm barking up the wrong tree and Dean's approach leaves me with egg on my face come the end of July but I still have the fear at the moment.

0-2

[SoccerHQ]

If we'd played Chelsea in mid March they'd have been without Tammy Abraham, Pulisic, Kovacic, Hudson Odoi and Kante.

All those back now although Kante's only been training a week so he may not start and Jorginho is suspended I think.

Have to hope 90 minutes of intensity will be a big advantage especially in last 20 minutes when players really feel things.

Personally I'd take McGinn out as he looked off the pace and I'd rather start him at Newcastle. It's important we have a few players capable of coming on and lifting the tempo as we didn't really have that on Wednesday so I'd leave El Ghazi out aswell.

Think I'll go with midfield of Nakamba-Luiz-Hourihane with Grealish in a free role behind front 2 of Davis and Samatta but not expecting DS to be that radical.

Would expect same backline as last game although the thought of their forward players running at Hause is a bit concerning.