Premiership: Chelsea v. Aston Villa
Saturday, 30 September 06, 11:57 AM · Comments (5)
Chelsea meet a resurgent Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge later today.
Chelsea have beaten Villa in their last four meetings but Jose Mourinho will not be taking the in-form Midlanders lightly.
Martin O'Neill has led Villa to their best Premiership start for five years, and they enter the game as one of only two unbeaten sides in the league.
In team news, John Obi Mikel is set to make his first Premiership start, while Claude Makelele is likely to be recalled after being rested for the midweek win over Levski Sofia.
Michael Ballack will definitely miss the game as he continues his three-match suspension following his dismissal against Liverpool.
Mourinho has said he will keep playing Andriy Shevchenko, despite the Ukranian's lack of goals.
"Until he scores a goal, he is in my lineup," Mourinho said. "He has no chance to be dropped. Two, three, four, five games. It doesn't matter. He will play until he scores a goal."
O'Neill is set to name the same side that beat Charlton at Villa Park last weekend.
Chelsea remain unbeaten in 47 games at the Bridge, since losing 1-2 to Arsenal on 21 February 2004.
Like this blog? Help spread the word: 
Fisrt game of the season for me having got my ST back yesterday. I'll be writing an article at some point but today was a little lesson in why you shouldn't fall asleep during the last 15 minutes of the first half as Chelsea did. We looked like a pub team during that period and the Villa equaliser looked inevitable. When it went in my bit of the MHL just shrugged our shoulders and collectively thought we'd deserved nothing less.
Another little lesson we need to pick up is how to score a goal when you have 16 attempts on goal during the second half. And I don't know about anyone else but I'm sick of superhero displays from opposition keepers. Sorenson's save from Sheva was bloody unbelievable but was just one of many he made today. How we never scored in the second half is a mystery to me because despite what Villa fans may say, and the press may print, we bloody battered them second half.
Finally, hats off to Martin O'Neill who does seem to have a midas touch because he's turned a very average bunch of underperformers from the O'Leary days into a creditable and motivated unit who might just trouble a top 6 position this year. His post match comments were both intellignet, funny and gracious. As were JM's.
GJ
GJ
Excellent summing up of the game, it was my first home game of the season in The Shed Upper, and the feeling on the equaliser was very similar. Overall a little dissapointed with the outcome, but it's still early days and I'm sure we'll click into gear and someone will be on the receiving end of a hammering. Lets hope it's Barca!!
The other big plus of the day, was the Scousers losing!
PS Looking forward to your next article good to have you back
How did we draw, SWP shot was poor, my nan cood of scored tht if she was paralysed and had no legs
5 Comments · Add yours
1-1 At half time! hope we pull it back to get a nice cushion at the top
The draw was irritating because we had fourteen chances to get that second goal and we didn't put them away. SWP's shot against the crossbar was unlucky.
We need to be completely in gear next month because October's full of important games: Reading, Portsmouth and Sheffield in the league, two of those away, Blackburn away in the Carling Cup and of course two matches with Barcelona. After next month, we should start knowing the direction that our season is going to go in.