Aston Villa vs Chelsea pre match - March 4th 7.30pm

[walsall villain]

0-3

[PaulWinch again]

One thing I’m certain of is if we approach the game like we have recently and play like we have we will lose. If we show more proactivity Chelsea are at the most vulnerable in defence, we need a proper attacking strategy. We have to attack the game, which will then get the crowd into the game.

[algy]

Please, for the love of god, just win this one.

[Legion]

0-4

[PaulWinch again]

Another reason to really attack this - we’ve had nearly two days more recovery.

[Halfway to Moseley]

I would take the world’s scruffiest 0-0 at this point, just to maintain the six point gap while moving another week closer to McGinn and Tielemans coming back. Though if we play the way we have in recent games it’s a dead cert loss.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Another reason to really attack this - we’ve had nearly two days more recovery.

I'm trying to remember when that last helped us. We're at our best playing Thursday and Sunday. Give these pillocks one game a week and we struggle.

[RamboandBruno]

Martinez

Cash
Konsa
Torres
Digne

Luiz
Onana

Rogers
Sancho

Tammy
Watkins

Two up top and direct. Lots of high balls into their box.

Think I’d start Maatsen in this one.

Think Luiz and Onana might struggle as a two against Caicedo and Fernandes, would be tempted to start Barkley and just leave Tammy up maybe.

[dutchvilla]

I'd play Maatsen instead of Digne, Abraham instead of Watkins and Barkley instead of Buendia.

[brontebilly]

Martinez

Cash
Konsa
Torres
Digne

Luiz
Onana

Rogers
Sancho

Tammy
Watkins

Two up top and direct. Lots of high balls into their box.

Think I’d start Maatsen in this one.

Think Luiz and Onana might struggle as a two against Caicedo and Fernandes, would be tempted to start Barkley and just leave Tammy up maybe.

Barkley only useful if we are dominating possession. Can't run and that's a big problem. Maybe switch up to 433/451 with Alysson and Rogers on wings. Bogarde into midfield. Maatsen on left. Let's make it a scrap anyway. Lindelof into LCB.

[Goldenballs]

1-3

Cant see how we win this one.

[PaulWinch again]

Well we can - we’re playing rubbish, below what we should be doing. But that’s the point, even with the injuries, we’re less than the sum of our parts right now. We might lose, but if Unai and the players get their act together we can definitely win.

[Demitri_C]

Gonna lose quite comfortably  i am afraid

[tomd2103]

Huge game which we really need to win, as I think it's between us and them now for that final Champions League spot.  9 points ahead of them with 9.games to go (and the fixtures they have) would be very big.

[cdbearsfan]

We don't "need" to win, but we desperately need not to lose. Win would be immense and be the biggest lift of the season.