Everything is still to play for at the top and the bottom of the Premier League and Aston Villa would be looking to make sure that the 8-0 mauling they suffered at the hands of Chelsea, does not happen again
With 40 points from 36 games and five points away from 18th placed Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa are definitely in a great position to survive relegation, which just a few weeks back, was a looming possibility. A 6-0 win over Sunderland and a 2-1 win over Norwich City saw Paul Lambert’s side move away from the clutches of the relegation zone.
However, with a home game against Chelsea set to take place tomorrow, the Villans know that they are still not out of the woods and any sort of complacency would put them back into the fire, such is the sheer feistiness of the bottom half of the table.
Back in December, Chelsea inflicted Aston Villa their heaviest ever defeat in the Premier League with an 8-0 hammering at Stamford Bridge. And the last time these two sides met at Villa Park, the game ended 4-2 in favour of the visitors. In short, Chelsea averaged six goals per game last year against Villa which is a stat suggesting that the upcoming encounter will be full of goals again.
Aston Villa is side full of talent, but have been inconsistent in their showcase of brilliance. Boasting one of the youngest squads in the Premier League, many people are of the opinion that the current Villa side will become a more competitive unit if they manage to stay in top flight football. Indeed, in the likes of Christian Benteke, Gabby Agbonlahor, Matthew Lowton and Andreas Weimann, Villa have a squad of talented youngsters who may well forge great careers for themselves.
Throughout the current campaign, Benteke has scored goals for fun for his side amidst a relegation frenzy that has surrounded the club ever since the season began. And now with Chelsea coming, it would be quite interesting to see how this young team will respond to the events that transpired in the reverse fixture.
Chelsea on the other hand, have not fared bad either. In their previous encounter, the Blues held Champions League craving Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-2 draw after a much-needed win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Regardless of the ire he faces from a big section of the crowd, Rafael Benitez has gone about his business in a graceful manner and has given the club hope of silverware at the end of the season in the form of the Europa League.
With a place in the Champions League for next season in the offing, Benitez would surely be looking for a double over Aston Villa which means that the Londoners could be at their ruthless best against a side they rolled over a few months back.
Just a few weeks back, Villa’s season looked all but over. However, it is quite surprising to see how two good games can transform a club’s fortunes. Lambert would love to extract some sort of revenge over Chelsea after the clubbing they gave his young charges in December last year and even if that revenge comes in the shape of a solitary point, he will take it gladly.
However, with a home game against Chelsea set to take place tomorrow, the Villans know that they are still not out of the woods and any sort of complacency would put them back into the fire, such is the sheer feistiness of the bottom half of the table.
Back in December, Chelsea inflicted Aston Villa their heaviest ever defeat in the Premier League with an 8-0 hammering at Stamford Bridge. And the last time these two sides met at Villa Park, the game ended 4-2 in favour of the visitors. In short, Chelsea averaged six goals per game last year against Villa which is a stat suggesting that the upcoming encounter will be full of goals again.
Aston Villa is side full of talent, but have been inconsistent in their showcase of brilliance. Boasting one of the youngest squads in the Premier League, many people are of the opinion that the current Villa side will become a more competitive unit if they manage to stay in top flight football. Indeed, in the likes of Christian Benteke, Gabby Agbonlahor, Matthew Lowton and Andreas Weimann, Villa have a squad of talented youngsters who may well forge great careers for themselves.
Throughout the current campaign, Benteke has scored goals for fun for his side amidst a relegation frenzy that has surrounded the club ever since the season began. And now with Chelsea coming, it would be quite interesting to see how this young team will respond to the events that transpired in the reverse fixture.
Chelsea on the other hand, have not fared bad either. In their previous encounter, the Blues held Champions League craving Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-2 draw after a much-needed win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Regardless of the ire he faces from a big section of the crowd, Rafael Benitez has gone about his business in a graceful manner and has given the club hope of silverware at the end of the season in the form of the Europa League.
With a place in the Champions League for next season in the offing, Benitez would surely be looking for a double over Aston Villa which means that the Londoners could be at their ruthless best against a side they rolled over a few months back.
Just a few weeks back, Villa’s season looked all but over. However, it is quite surprising to see how two good games can transform a club’s fortunes. Lambert would love to extract some sort of revenge over Chelsea after the clubbing they gave his young charges in December last year and even if that revenge comes in the shape of a solitary point, he will take it gladly.
