Aston Villa v Chelsea Match Thread

[brontebilly]

Agreed, odd night to change keeper. Is Jorgensen the guy that threw in a winner for us last season in the same game? Mings and Onana all over him hopefully with in swinging deliveries every time. Confident Cash will tie down Garnacho. No idea what Hato is like at left back. Fearful we will get outnumbered 5 v 4 in midfield.

[caster troy]

Bailey Buendia and Watkins is League One level on current form. Absolutely horrific.

[Toronto Villa]

Just a pathetic predictable line up

It's anything but predictable unless the person making the selection hasn't seen us play in 2026 and/or is f*cking mad.

I hope we win, I truly do. But I fully expect exactly the same as we have seen in recent weeks. There is literally nothing in that line which includes Bailey, Buendia, Watkins that gives me genuine hope for anything other than 1 or 2 shots on target (maybe) no goals yet again.

[Mossie Hennebry]

Jesus....Bailey must be some man to train! Chelsea to win by 2.

[PaulWinch again]

Oh no, that is not the line up.

[cfetters]

This is Emery giving the finger. Bailey shouldn't be on the bench let alone start. If Emery wanted crowd support then he has a funny way of showing it.

And I see it totally differently. It's Emery pumping those low on confidence what they need to turn their fortunes around. We can't afford passengers, full-stop. We need to have everyone firing for the run-in. Can't just shift Bailey off the team because he's not been performing well. We simply don't have that luxury. You have to pick him up as a manager and the players around him need to do the same. We've seen Leon at his best, and he's an absolute difference-maker.

All Unai is doing is showing confidence in his player and backing him to come good. Now it's all on Leon to back himself and do the same.

[PaulWinch again]

Oh well - please win.

[Rigadon]

I’m not surprised he’s ‘gone again’ with this team.  I don’t get it though.  Hopefully Bailey in particular shuts us all up with a fantastic performance.  Come on Villa, let’s have a blinding performance and a win because this could be a pretty damaging night otherwise. 

[N'ZMAV]

I think we'd be better off with a third CM today and maybe have left Bailey out. Bogarde in front of the back 4 with Luiz and Onana more box to box players.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The only straw I'm clinging to is the Chelsea side tonight is anything but impressive.

1-0 Villa

Who takes our penalties?

[Pete3206]

Is the Warehouse open at half time? Because this game could be over by then?

[PeterWithesShin]

Who takes our penalties?

Gordon Cowans took the last one we were awarded.

[Stu]

This is Emery giving the finger. Bailey shouldn't be on the bench let alone start. If Emery wanted crowd support then he has a funny way of showing it.

And I see it totally differently. It's Emery pumping those low on confidence what they need to turn their fortunes around. We can't afford passengers, full-stop. We need to have everyone firing for the run-in. Can't just shift Bailey off the team because he's not been performing well. We simply don't have that luxury. You have to pick him up as a manager and the players around him need to do the same. We've seen Leon at his best, and he's an absolute difference-maker.

All Unai is doing is showing confidence in his player and backing him to come good. Now it's all on Leon to back himself and do the same.

Yep, totally agree. We’ve lost three great players who make the team tick and had to replace them with players we got shot of ages ago because it would be unfair if we were allowed to sign players, so we have to try and keep going with what we have.

[Pete3206]

All of those players have been match winners for us at some point - just need one of them to repeat it tonight

Bless

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Bloody hell!