We did really well against Chelsea last season, having got a draw at Stamford bridge and beating them at home, so I don’t know why but I really don’t expect us to get anything from this one.
I think it stems from how we’ve played our three games up to now, where we haven’t looked very convincing really.
We face a bit of a dainting run for the next few weeks and I hope I’m wrong, but I do worry somewhat that if we’re not careful, we risk becoming stuck at the bottom end of the table.
Still, things are looking up for us and we have a few players returning to fitness.
Martinez and Buendia are both out following their shennanigans in Brazil, but while they’ll be big misses, I’m inclined to think that there are a lot less worse games that they could miss, namely ones we’d normally expect to have a good chance of winning.
John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey have undergone their isolation periods and are ready to go.
Traore is training, but the really good news is that Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey are both fully fit and available.
There’s a bit of bad news, where Carnie Chukwuemeka and Jaden Philogene-Bidace came back from the U-20 and U-21 internationals, but that’s countered just a little bit by the News that Sanson is now also available.
Will we get to see him today? Well, we certainly know we need a bit extra in the middle and Smith is supposedly quite excited by the Frenchman.
The news about Ollie raises a good point actually. In the presser yesterday, Dean Smith was asked if Watkins and Danny Ings would play together in a two or if one of them would be pushed out wide. What I think is good news is that the manager went out of his way to say that Watkins would be wasted out wide after all the goals he’s scored and that Ings was brought in because he specifically felt they would compliment each other.
With Bailey and even El Ghazi as the attacking four, that’s a serious threat and one we’ve all been itching to see.
Chelsea’s squad then it’s a bit academic really isn’t it? They could have a full side injured and still put out an excellent one. Whatever, they’re in a pretty good state with very few problems.
Reece James is out after receiving a straight red against Liverpool and will probably be replaced by Trevoh Chalobah.
In midfield, N’Golo Kante is missing through injury meaning Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic should start. Saul Niguez could make his debut from the bench.
And that’s it.
Last season showed we can get results against Chelsea, but I’m not at all confident. We haven’t got into our stride yet and this isn’t really a good game to try and gather some momentum. Chelsea, on the other hand are going quite well and are expected by many to be challenging come the end of the season.
It was pointed out to Dean Smith that we don’t have a problem getting goals away from home, but we don’t get many points. What then is the answer? he was asked.
I thought it was a pretty stupid question really and the answer is obvious. Concede less, in other words.
Will we have enough about us to stop Chelsea scoring? Well, they had a load of chances against us at Villa park last season and I don’t see that changing today.
I’ll go for a 3-1 loss and I think I’ll just be looking for a decent performance. You never know though.
UTV!
Comments
30 responses to “Chelsea – Villa: I don’t fancy our chances here.”
Fingers crossed, but I’m not holding my breath.
Club is a disgrace letting Buendia and Martinez go to Brazil it weakens the team Smith should not of allowed it to happen
Think we are in for a very tough run and with players missing only makes it harder
Total collapse from Spurs. League is wide open. The players have to knuckle-down, set high targets, and work their bollocks off. If they do that, they can have a very good season!
Badger I agree it’s more about seeing a good performance today. If that transforms into a point, then a very good result.
Still a long way to go and I can’t wait for the full first team to play together.
Littles it’s a bit harsh calling our club a disgrace. Under Learner (latter years) and Dr Xia our club was a disgrace not now.
Steer | Konsa, Mings (c), Tuanzebe, Cash | McGinn, Douglas Luiz, J.Ramsey | Targett, Watkins, Ings
Substitutes from: Sinisalo, Hause, A.Young, Nakamba, Sanson, El Ghazi, Bailey, Traoré, Archer
What line up is that then?
Cash Konsa Tuanzebe Mings Targett
Luiz
McGinn Ramsey
Watkins Ings
Ings going wide, I guess?
Who’s this Sinisalo kid? Good to see they’re all getting a go on the bench 🙂
Six changes for Chelsea.
Unreal.
5-3-2 formation. Negative or inspired? I guess we will find out soon enough.
Like all managers, he’s called it a 3-5-2.
Bollocks, it’s negative mostly.
Ramsey booked already. That’s poor, but down to his young age, I suppose.
Looking sharper today, imo.
Straight through the middle.
Way too easy.
0-1 Lukaku.
Very decent first half, I thought. Ramsey’s booking apart, I think he’s statring to show maturity.
Keep creating and I think we’ve got enough to get at least one.
Even though we are losing – we are playing well with £100m not even on the bench.
This is the best team effort Ihave since in a long time.
Ramsey will replace McGinn if he does not step it up.
Well apart from conceding an early goal we’ve bossed that half. We don’t deserve to be 1 down on that showing but we need to take our chances especially against the best teams at some point in the 2nd half Chelsea will come strong and if it goes 2-0 then heads will drop and its game over. I really hope Bailey hits the ground running if we can sneak a goal and get him on with half our to play we can turn this game right on its head.
History will show the score as 3-0.
Pundits will give Villa hardly any credit, just emphasise Lukaku’s two shots, for two goals.
We paid the price for slack defending, allowing him his first goal.
What followed for the rest of the first half was Villa in total control, just lacking a clinical finish.
I would wager that the half-time team talk was very positive and I, for one, was quietly optimistic that a positive outcome was possible.
Then, 5 minutes in to the second half ‘ Billy Big Balls’ “ I’m a full England international you know” Mings committed his customary casual error and, suddenly, it’s game over.
If any of us made a similar error in our line of work, we would get a written warning, at least. Mings should,at the very least, be dropped, to remind him that nobody is bigger than the team. Instead, Smith will make excuses for him and he will be the first name on the team sheet, as captain.
For me, he is totally overrated and he would not be missed.
100% agree Mark. I’ve said as much in the write-up.
Pretty impressed with our first half tbh. Bit naive for their goal but I like the energy, tackling and positive play. We should have had one or two goals but final pass/ finishing not quite there.
It will hard to maintain the energy second half and you get the feeling that they will take their chances.
Decent game though
How many times mings
Howler from Mings and game over. Such a shame after that 1st half
Mings is useless. Can’t someone offer us really good money for him?
As I’ve consistently suggested, I wouldn’t miss him in the slightest.
Bailey on for Ramsey. Go on son, have a stormer!
Ings off, Traore on. Good sub, as Ings hasn’t had a sniff today.
Weird. BBC just quoted you almost verbatim…
Getting a bit hacked off with Mings too. He should concentrate less on the politics and more on his defensive duties.
Ye sorry sidforever and everyone elseI was a little harsh on the club earlier one poor decision by the club doesn’t mean were a disgracejust want to win like everyone else
Lost a bit of urgency this half still plenty of time though
Little8, we need a goal sharpish.
Good effort from Traore!
Jesus, this ref is an utter joke!
Disgraceful. And I rarely complain about them.
Sigh. Two chances, two goals.
You always feel Mings will drop a clanger especially when he is in possession and gets complacent. That goal took the momentum out of us and it’s always disappointing when it’s self inflicted. Chelsea didn’t deserve to win 3-0 but the worry is our players confidence will take a battering during this difficult run of games.
Konsa and Hause should be given a run together. Mings should be taken out of the team. Nothing personal, but he’s costing the team points. He can’t be captain when making so many errors.