Chelsea v. Aston Villa Preview: Bogeymen Hope to Extend European Hangover

Alan McGuinness previews Chelsea’s clash with Aston Villa, providing some thoughts, team news, recent form, quotes, and finally a prediction.

Initial Thoughts and Points of Interest

Chelsea are beginning to resemble the walking wounded after a lacklustre draw in Cluj. Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, John Terry, and Alex all returned from the away trip injured, and Luiz Felipe Scolari will be hoping things don’t get much worse on that front.

Tie this in with the fact that Aston Villa are traditionally one of Chelsea’s bogey teams, and pessimism might begin to creep in amongst the Chelsea faithful.

It will be up to Chelsea’s fit squad members to keep up the good early season form that has seen Chelsea unbeaten up to this point.


Team News

Chelsea: It might just be easier to list who is actually fit and available here.

Deco, Carvalho, Essien, and Drogba definitely miss out while Terry, Alex, Joe Cole, and Ashley Cole are doubts. Scolari said in his Friday press conference that he will wait until after training on Saturday before deciding who to put into his team.

From: Cech, Ivanovic, A Cole, Lampard, Di Santo, J Cole, Mikel, Ballack, Malouda, Sinclair, Bosingwa, Bridge, Ferreira, Kalou, Cudicini, Terry, Alex, Belletti, Anelka, Hilario, Stoch, Mancienne.

Aston Villa: Villa have been handed a boost with the news that John Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor will be fit for this encounter.

The likes of Martin Laursen, Curtis Davies, Gareth Barry, and Nigel Reo-Coker are likely to return after being rested for Villa’s European exploits in midweek.

From: Friedel, Luke Young, Laursen, Davies, Shorey, Reo-Coker, Barry, Petrov, Ashley Young, Carew, Agbonlahor, Guzan, Milner, Cuellar, Gardner, Osbourne, Knight, Harewood, Salifou, Routledge.

Recent Form

Chelsea: Clujless (see what I did there) in midweek, Chelsea will be hoping that they don’t suffer a European hangover and concede top spot in the Premier League with a poor result here.

Wednesday’s draw was the third of the season, and the first time that Scolari’s men have failed to score.

Aston Villa: Since Martin O’Neill took over, the Midlands side have definitely been on an upwards trajectory. They are third in the table at the moment—just a point behind Chelsea and Liverpool—having lost only once this season.

However, they did go out of the Carling Cup last week in rather embarrassing fashion, losing 1-0 to QPR at home.


Quotes

Chelsea winger Florent Malouda is keen to get back to winning ways at home—Chelsea have drawn their last two home fixtures.

“We know we are winning well away, but we have drawn twice now at home so we need to get back with three points,” he said.

Manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has praised Martin O’Neill ahead of the game on Sunday, but knows that his team needs to win.

“It is a chance for me to talk to Martin and say that I appreciate his job and his team. But we need to win,” Scolari said.

“I think he is a very, very good coach. All the teams he has trained play well and I like his style—he fights for his team.”

Scolari also went on to say that he was satisfied with the squad at his disposal.

“I am satisfied with my players. Anelka has made 10 goals this season, Joe Cole four, Salomon Kalou four, Florent Malouda two, (Franco) Di Santo two.

“I am not afraid because of Didier's injury because I believe in these players.”

Martin O’Neill revealed that Scolari’s admiration is mutual, and that the Villains were confident of causing an upset at Stamford Bridge.

"Confidence is high but having that doesn't guarantee anything. We might be unlucky and not get anything. We might be exceptional and not be good enough on the day.

"But we are looking forward to it—we want to win.

"People will say it's the best time to play them because of their injuries—but I don't accept that.

"I think they have shown over a number of years that they are strong in every department. They are a class outfit.

"I have been a huge admirer of Chelsea over the last few years. They treat every competition with incredible merit. They go for it. They don't prioritise. They go as strongly as they possibly can in everything.

"They have a good, strong squad that can cope with anything. Whatever side they put out, it will be Chelsea."


Prediction

I’m going to change form and be a bit pessimistic this time. We haven’t beaten Aston Villa since Martin O’Neill took over and are missing a number of key players with injury. Therefore I think a draw is the best we will get out of the game.

A 1-1 score line is my prediction.

Will Villa keep up their reputation as Chelsea’s bogey team? Can the Blues cope with a mounting injury list and pick up three points on Sunday? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.