Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 2 Post Match Heart Massage.

[Axl Rose]

I'll take that point.

Up the fucking Villa.

[Didier Five]

Come the end of the season that point could be massive, not great tonight but seven points ahead now is a big gap. Really poor second half but couldn't understand why the ref didn't see the push.

[Steve67]

Tonight's point guarantees us Euro football next season.  That's about the only positive i can think off.  We looked leggy and off the pace throughout.  A lack of closing down and several players well below par.  We concede too many goals.  I would have taken a point before the game but now it feels like a defeat.  I'm looking forward to the summer and dipping into the market to freshen things up.  I can't think of too many individual performances tonight as man of the match. Chelsea will be a force next season, they are better than their league position suggests.

[taylorsworkrate]

We're having our best season in decades despite endless injuries, second half was crap but we look like we're running on fumes and still didn't lose and are in the driving seat.

We got stronger as the game went on against Bournemouth

[BC Villain]

Without Emi’s presence we struggle….If that’s long term we’ll struggle for that 4th place.

If he's out for the season then you can give Spurs 4th place now

[Forge10]

I was one of those criticising during that second half. Commenting during the game makes people talk shite sometimes. I agree with the post before, having been there for Graham Turner and Billy McNeill there is no comparison. We’ve done amazing, I will stay logged out in future during game time 🙏🏼

[Somniloquism]

Poor. Please let Martinez be fit because despite the second saves our defence looks nervous when Olsen is between the sticks.

The whole team and crowd were nervous tbh. However I think in a game like tonight, the problem they have with Olsen is we lose the extra man at the back to pass around with which we use with Martinez there. And because they were pressing high and in a style that gave us no spaces, we then couldn't get out of our half.

Last time he was subbed at half time, he missed a weeks worth of matches.

[Somniloquism]

Without Emi’s presence we struggle….If that’s long term we’ll struggle for that 4th place.

If he's out for the season then you can give Spurs 4th place now

I think we should let them actually try and earn it.

[Goldie.7]

Deserved to lose but got a much needed point somehow. I never trust us at 2-0, ever.

We looked tired (as we should be) so tonight's performance level is very understandable.

Extremely soft VAR decision. Big guy like Carlos should be shooing away opposition players of that size with ease instead of getting bullied.

[Beard82]

7 points from Arsenal Chelsea and Bournemouth - would have taken that.

Shouldn’t be giving away two goal leads - that’s fucking me off.  But given we lost 2 from injury - don’t think we let in two with Martinez - thought olsens positioning for the first made it too easy - but vital save at the end.  He’s done ok for us this season - but they will always be a drop off considering emi is the best in the world.

I do think we could do with a bit more physicality and more leadership and composer in midfield and think that’s why we have made a habit of letting 2 goals slip.  Luiz was shit and tielemens going off early meant we struggled in midfield.  I think Tim did well - cash in midfield doesn’t work. 

If AC Milan really want Carlos I would bite there arm off - built like a wardrobe and was lucky to get that free kick for there late “goal”.   

Would much rather be in our position than Spurs - and hopefully arsenal do the job tomorrow.  5 points from the remaining 3 should be enough - but would feel better if we only needed 3. 

[pauliewalnuts]

Without Emi’s presence we struggle….If that’s long term we’ll struggle for that 4th place.

If he's out for the season then you can give Spurs 4th place now

Nah. There’s a big difference between Olsen and Emi but Spurs are 7 points behind us. We could fail to take another point all season and still finish 4th.

Yeah they’ve got games in hand but we’ve got points.

[Footy-Vill]

Where did this all go wrong?
The second half was quite awful, passive, and lethargic.
Ginny demonstrated no leadership.
There was a lack of ability to maintain possession
It went from being comfortable to collapsing.
Diaby was shocking. Roger is a promising young player, but he was guilty of giving the ball away too often.
Luiz and Pau, two of our best ball players, became sloppy and lost it with their passing.
I expected more, especially a 2-0 half time lead but we have a 7-point lead and a semi-final to look forward to.

It illustration to me that upgrades to the squad are needed for our next step and more players of champions league level for next season and competing in the squad.

[brontebilly]

That was shocking. We didn't really deserve anything from the game. I thought Rogers, barring the goal, was really sloppy. Diego, nightmare cameo.

Agreed it was the cameo from hell from Carlos. It was a foul on him but he should be dealing with it anyway, Palmer should have made him pay minutes before too. Poor tactical switch from Emery to go with 3 x CBs up against one average striker.

Thought we were average/poor in the first half and were completely outplayed in the second. Thought we nosedived after Luiz idiotic yellow card. He was doing fine up to then but that nobbled him and our midfield. Aside from Matty Cash I don't think anyone else played well over the 90.

Martinez 6 (Olsen 6, one point saving save)
Cash 8 - almost caught out with a tight offside but involved in our best play and made the big chance for Watkins
Konsa 6 - decent first half but mixed in second
Torres 6 - very good first half but frankly poor in second
Digne 5 - same above, made first goal but was roasted in second half
Luiz 5 - solid rather than spectacular first half but yellow card finished him, caught for first goal by Gallagher
McGinn 4 - genuinely awful throughout, little or nothing went right
Bailey 6 - on fire first half but obviously struggled second half
Tielemans 6 - early injury (Diaby 4- little impact)
Watkins 5 - not really on it tonight and missed the big chance to win it
Rogers 5 - fine goal but it masked a very average performance, gave Digne no help really second half

Emery 5 - nothing wrong with starting lineup but failed to make change on left side. Move to three centre backs was unnecessary

[Goldenballs]

Guaranteed 5th with three games remaining and people are moaning. 

Nobody's moaning about guaranteed 5th with three games remaining, they're moaning about the individual 90 minute game we've just watched.

[Smithy]

Poor. Please let Martinez be fit because despite the second saves our defence looks nervous when Olsen is between the sticks.

The whole team and crowd were nervous tbh. However I think in a game like tonight, the problem they have with Olsen is we lose the extra man at the back to pass around with which we use with Martinez there. And because they were pressing high and in a style that gave us no spaces, we then couldn't get out of our half.

Last time he was subbed at half time, he missed a weeks worth of matches.

That's absolutely it.  Not that we were great in the first half, but the team seems far more reluctant to recycle the ball between the back three of CB-GK-CB when Olsen is in goal, and that has a knock on effect across the whole team as they (and the oppos) know the first time it comes wide to a defender it's almost certainly coming forward.

I would worry if Emi is going to miss games with whatever injury he has.  Not that Olsen is a bad goalie (his 1v1 save against Palmer shows he's not bad at all!), but he's just not good enough with the ball at his feet for the way we play these days.