Chelsea vs Aston Villa pre-match thread

[Demitri_C]

Anyone recommend an away pub please?

Id recommend drinking someone outside there as its bloody expensive round there then get train in.

[Drummond]

Is this another must-win game?

[Accent Guy]

Unfortunately, there is no world in which I see us getting anything form this game and even less chance of a clean sheet. We aren't the same side as last season and, sadly, neither are they.

3-1 to Chelsea, followed by 2 must win home games.

[Risso]

Unfortunately, there is no world in which I see us getting anything form this game and even less chance of a clean sheet. We aren't the same side as last season and, sadly, neither are they.

3-1 to Chelsea, followed by 2 must win home games.

I'd go along with that. The slight hope we have is that the defence looked better on Wednesday, especially with the return of Bouba, but other than Conceicao, Juventus didn't have any actual forwards. Chelsea have no such issues and I fear this won't be pretty. 4-0 Chelsea.

[LeeB]

Unfortunately, there is no world in which I see us getting anything form this game and even less chance of a clean sheet. We aren't the same side as last season and, sadly, neither are they.

3-1 to Chelsea, followed by 2 must win home games.

I'd go along with that. The slight hope we have is that the defence looked better on Wednesday, especially with the return of Bouba, but other than Conceicao, Juventus didn't have any actual forwards. Chelsea have no such issues and I fear this won't be pretty. 4-0 Chelsea.

Chelsea may have better attackers, but then they wont setup in a mad 2-7-2 formation either and there may actually be some space to work in.

The key is we approach it the same way we did against Bayern and Juve and keep things water tight at the back and go from there. These twats aren't as good as Liverpool and we should have got something there were it not for the brain farts.

[Nev]

Bad, or in our case, poor and underwhelming runs always come to an end at some point. Most people would point to Weds and the visit of Brentford for ours. After all, we're up against a Chelsea team who are bang in form, and some peoples dark horses for a title challenge. But football is rarely predictable and where the small slices of luck go against, when the passes are over or under hit, when the loose ball consistently drops for your opponents, these things are cyclical and eventually turn. Couple these with the signs that we look slightly more cohesive, even if we appear over cautious and you have the recipe for a victory that is well overdue.

I'd like to see Mings or Konsa return alongside Torres, Morgan given a rest and if he's fit Onana alongside Kamara. Solidity, invention and bravery will see us home in a very tight game.

0-1

[brontebilly]

Martinez
Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne
Kamara, Barkley
Bailey, Tielemans, McGinn
Watkins

Going to struggle to retain possession with the form Chelsea are in. Rogers for me has to drop out and Konsa will return for Carlos. Think it's the ideal game to bring Mings in to mark Jackson. Performance was much better during the week, if Emery picks the right team I think we can pick up another point.

[Legion]

2-0

[ChicagoLion]

Martinez
Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne
Kamara, Barkley
Bailey, Tielemans, McGinn
Watkins

Going to struggle to retain possession with the form Chelsea are in. Rogers for me has to drop out and Konsa will return for Carlos. Think it's the ideal game to bring Mings in to mark Jackson. Performance was much better during the week, if Emery picks the right team I think we can pick up another point.

Barkley as a defensive pivot? swap him with SJM or Tielemans.

[paul_e]

Martinez
Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne
Kamara, Barkley
Bailey, Tielemans, McGinn
Watkins

Going to struggle to retain possession with the form Chelsea are in. Rogers for me has to drop out and Konsa will return for Carlos. Think it's the ideal game to bring Mings in to mark Jackson. Performance was much better during the week, if Emery picks the right team I think we can pick up another point.

Barkley as a defensive pivot? swap him with SJM or Tielemans.

He's better there than further forward and it's where he's played all season.

[Accent Guy]

But football is rarely predictable

I'd have to disagree there. Football definitely throws up shock results, but generally it's about as predictable as can be.

One look at the final tables across European leagues over the last decade will show you that.

It's the reason why the same small group of clubs win almost all the trophies.

[Demitri_C]

If we are able to defend then we are capable of going and winning.

If we defend as we have been recently in league we will get spanked.

Its which one turns up

[ChicagoLion]

Martinez
Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne
Kamara, Barkley
Bailey, Tielemans, McGinn
Watkins

Going to struggle to retain possession with the form Chelsea are in. Rogers for me has to drop out and Konsa will return for Carlos. Think it's the ideal game to bring Mings in to mark Jackson. Performance was much better during the week, if Emery picks the right team I think we can pick up another point.

Barkley as a defensive pivot? swap him with SJM or Tielemans.

He's better there than further forward and it's where he's played all season.

All season? He has been a sub most appearances and when starting in that position against Palace he was pretty average at best.

[eamonn]

Palace ran through a midfield of Barkley and Tielemans last week. Neither have the discipline of Kamara nor Onana.

[LeeB]

From Chris Sutton's predictions:


"I am backing Chelsea to take this one. They were too strong for Leicester last weekend and while Cole Palmer did not deliver, Nicolas Jackson keeps on scoring and looks like a different player compared to last season"

Now I know it's a bit thowaway but this really pissed me off. They were too strong for Leicester, yes, a newly promoted team, but it's written as though they will inevitably be too strong for us because we're comaprable to Leicester and not a team that's finished above Chelsea the last two seasons and won there in our last two league games.