If I was to say “I don’t know what to think about this one”, you’d probably think “crikey Badger, you’ve said that a few times this season”. And you’d be right, because I have.
The trouble is, my immediate thoughts are to say I think we’ll win this game.
But for pretty much all of the season, Villa have failed to do what the average fan has expected. It’s worked both ways, mind and just as we put up an excellent fighting display against Liverpool when I think many expected a sound beating, so we’ve failed to win games that we would have assumed to be a shoe-in, such as Ipswich at home. That one particularly sticks in my mind and it’s that sort of result that really rankles me.
Squad news is that Konsa and Bailey both face late fitness tests. I’d say that Bailey won’t get a chance now we have the newcomers, but Unai seems to love him, hence I’d guess that if the player is fit, he will start. Konsa, of course would be a welcome return, albeit I don’t think he’s been at his best this season. Pau, Kamara and Onana are all a couple of weeks away at best and Disasi is ineligible against his parent club.
As for Chelsea, Noni Madueke is out for a few weeks with a Hamsting issue and Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu, Benoit Badiashile, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana (the only one I’ve heard of) are all long term injuries. Not that it matters much, as they have stupid amounts of players to call on. Which is something else that rankles, because I’ve literally just read that we face a big fine by Uefa for a financial breach.
Anyway, as I said, I fancy us to win this one, but I just get a sneaky feeling that we won’t and a draw seems most likely. I don’t see it being a high scoring game either and it’s most likely to be a tight affair.
Hence a 1-1 seems most likely to me and in a game where it would good to pull some points back against another Europe contender, I would be disappointed with just one at home.
Then again, watch Villa do the unthinkable again and either win easily or get soundly beaten.
It’s what we do.
UTV!
This is one record we are not going to add to tonight.
The Villans have conceded a goal from their opponent’s first shot on target in 14 of 27 Premier League matches this season.
Dunno. They haven’t had a shot yet
Did anyone see Emery having a go at Palice manager over being out of his zone and returning the ball . It stated a row .
A bit of argy bargy never goes amiss!!!
Dirty Palace. Leaving the boot in or scraping studs…
Watkins has been terrible up to now. Every touch a giveaway.
Sitter. Terrible miss from Tilesman.
FFS!
0-1
Still gonna beat them.
I like your optimism Bum Bum but I think it’s misplaced.
Doubt it.
Wasn’t a corner and goal from first shot on target – AGAIN.
F’ing useless
Agreed.
Clean sheet? Will we ever see one again? 🥺
Why do we have to concede, never in trouble? It is becoming tiresome.
Pigs will fly BumBum , sorry but as you pointed out Watkins poor Rodger not in the game McGinn is , some of our players need to step up .
In moderation
We have been pretty good without much threat. Have an awful feeling this will suddenly get away from us. And a s I type Eze has a real chance.
We are trying to control the tempo and we can do that for 80% but concede so easily. We need the internet clearly can’t do it every 3/4 days
*intensity.
Maybe the internet as well
McGinn at fault giving the ball away in midfield and again resulting in Sarr’s shot – great save by Martinez.
Palace showing Villa how to change gear and attack with pace. Looks so easy.
Palace should be 3-0 up.
Our defence is creaking – too many forced changes and Emery goes three at the back which doesn’t work for Villa.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSS! WHOOOOOOOOOO! 😁😁😁
Chesty!!!!!!!!
And then we score
It’s onside, arseholes!!!! 😡
He’s F**king level 🤦♂️
Dick head, bent mother f*”ker!
Just about to type Watkins and Rogers have been useless. VAR going to screw us over!
WTF!!!!
🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
IT’S A FUCKING CON! FUCK THAT! IF I WAS UNAI, I’D CALL THE PLAYERS OFF AND TAKE EVERY FINE GOING. I’D HAVE SMASHED THE FUCKING BENCH UP AND EVERYTHING.
ABSOLUTE. FUCKING. DISGRACE. FUCK THEM ALL.
Offside – that’s a f’ing joke
Absolute bollocks. That’s Gillet for you.y
I feel like switching off. VAR is ruining the game. We are going to lose this along with any hope of top 4/5.
How can they get away with it, Holte? It’s fucking mad!
You may not like it but it’s offside by the rules. So tight and so frustrating.
Instead of trying to take the sting out of the game I would prefer us to go for the throat from the start. The Liverpool way (I know we are not Liverpool). We have given them something to defend and now when we try to up the tempo they will look to hit us on the break.
I get that we are trying to manage games and maybe that’s right but we aren’t doing as well as our ability should dictate.
They scored from a corner they shouldn’t have had but we had one of those. The difference is we didn’t beat the first man and they did and kept the attack going.
Make the changes and go at them straight away or they will score a second and we will really be up against it