Aston Villa v Ex ESL contenders Chelsea. Pre Match Thread.

[sickbeggar]

We have literally nothing to play for. Chelsea may have one eye on the CL final but given the league situation they really have to win to be sure. 1-2

I would argue that our captain and best player has an awful lot to play for.  Jack really needs a solid performance to cement his place for the Euros, as does Ollie to certain extent.  Jack really doesn't want any question marks over his fitness once the season has ended.  He's probably as motivated as he could be to turn in a proper "Jack's back" peformance.

True, I thought that as well, but the other side of that is he wants to get fit and maybe won't want to get crocked again by players fighting for a CL place or a place in the CL final. I'm sure he'll be targeted.

[p_ad]

A tough game but ... I feel we will want to finish the season strongly , will be a bit emotional too with some fans back at the game, 3-2 Ollie hatrick

[nordenvillain]

At half-time the club will remember those who’ve left us over the last 12 months. We sent details & a photo to the club on a friend of ours who died last year.

They’ve received requests for 370 people. So many in fact they don’t think there’s time to get it done at half-time. That seems a staggering number of people.

The video will be posted on to YouTube.

Yes, it's called "Holte enders in the sky". I've sent details and photo of my brother who sadly passed away last August and have received updates from Lee Preece at the club. I believe that he said it depends on the amount of extra minutes played at the end of the 1st half as to how many they will be able to show before the players come out again. Even one every 5 seconds would take 30 minutes +. As none in our family have tickets for the game, it is great that the club will be sending me a link to the YouTube video for me to pass to the other members of our family. Well done Villa ! RIP Arthur

[PhilVill]

Three zip to the boys, lads will be buoyed by the crowd and Chelsea will definitely have one eye on the final. We will achieve the impossible and score from a corner!

[ChicagoLion]

Three zip to the boys, lads will be buoyed by the crowd and Chelsea will definitely have one eye on the final. We will achieve the impossible and score from a corner!

They will be desperate to win this to guarantee CL place.
I am looking forward to a fiercely contested match.
What out for the usual shithousery from unpronounceable.

[robbo1874]

Got a good feeling about this one. Yes they are in the champs league final, but would you rather be playing Chelsea or Man City in this match? I reckon we’ll just about do it. First match back at VP with some fans. There’ll be none of that Spurs booing shite. Villa to win 2-1 and Jack to have a word in Tammy’s ear when they’re going off the pitch at the end.

[Legion]

0-2.

I guarantee we'll finish 11th so I'm off to the bookies.

Poll on way.

[RamboandBruno]

They are better than us and on their day the next strongest side in the league after Man City. We have the crowd factor and the Grealish factor. I think we’ll win 2-1, Grealish and Watkins. Cmon the boys.
For all those lucky enough to get tickets, do us proud and make some bloody noise!!!

[Legion]

TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has shown no ill-effects from his first start in 95 days at Spurs on Wednesday.

Loanee Ross Barkley is ineligible but Matt Targett can become the first outfield Villa player in a decade to start every league game in a season.

Chelsea will assess the fitness of N'Golo Kante, who was substituted with a hamstring problem in midweek, but Kai Havertz is fit after a similar issue.

Andreas Christensen will be available after a three-match absence.

LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Chelsea need a win to make sure of a top-four finish and I think they will get it.

Villa have been up and down results-wise recently but they were impressive in their victory at Tottenham in midweek, and they got a good win at Everton at the start of the month too. Dean Smith's side have improved a lot on last season, that's for sure.

They will be lively again at Stamford Bridge, especially with Jack Grealish getting more and more minutes under his belt, but I thought Chelsea won comfortably against Leicester on Tuesday and I'd expect them to get the job done here too.

Prediction: 0-2

[Richard E]

If we’re at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are at Villa Park they’re automatically going to start as favourites.

[Legion]

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

The 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in December ended Aston Villa's six-match losing streak against Chelsea in the Premier League.
Villa have lost 10 of the past 12 league meetings, with their solitary victory during that period coming at home in March 2014.
Chelsea can register four successive away league wins in this fixture for only the second time, having done so between 1995 and 1999.

Aston Villa

Villa are guaranteed to end the season in 11th place, their highest finish in the Premier League since coming ninth in 2010-11.
Only Chelsea and Manchester City have kept more Premier League clean sheets than Villa's 15 this season.
Emiliano Martinez has equalled the club's Premier League record for most clean sheets by a goalkeeper in a season. Brad Friedel also kept 15 in 2009-10.
Aston Villa have failed to win their final league match in any of their past six top-flight campaigns since beating Liverpool 1-0 a decade ago (D2, L4).
Ollie Watkins has scored eight Premier League goals against established top-six opposition in 2020-21, two more than any other player.
He needs one goal to become the first Englishman to score 15 times in a Premier League season for Villa, surpassing Julian Joachim's record from 1998-99.

Chelsea

Chelsea will guarantee a place in next season's Champions League if they win or match Liverpool and Leicester's results. If Chelsea lose by three goals, Leicester would overtake them with a draw.
Their only defeat on the final day of a Premier League season in the past nine years was by 3-0 at Newcastle United in 2017-18.
The Blues have earned 38 points from their 18 league matches under Thomas Tuchel (W11, D5, L2). They took 29 points from 19 games under Frank Lampard.
Since Tuchel's first match in charge, only Manchester City have earned more points than Chelsea.
They are unbeaten in their 12 away matches in all competitions under the German, only conceding five goals (W9, D3).
Edouard Mendy could become the only Chelsea goalkeeper other than Petr Cech to keep more than 16 Premier League clean sheets in a season.
Olivier Giroud has a career-high 10 competitive goals versus Aston Villa, scoring in each of his past eight appearances against them.

[Legion]

This will be our 1000th game in the Premier League and (obviously) the 500th at Villa Park.

[Legion]

If we’re at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are at Villa Park they’re automatically going to start as favourites.

Lawrenson is really clued up.

[darren woolley]

I reckon we will beat Chelsea 2-1.

[Villa Lew]

Three zip to the boys, lads will be buoyed by the crowd and Chelsea will definitely have one eye on the final. We will achieve the impossible and score from a corner!

Does anybody know the last time we scored from a corner, it seems like years!