The Villains play host to Di Matteo’s Blues in the Barclays Premier League this Saturday and it is a game that the visitors need to take three points from to stay in the hunt for fourth place.
After a stop-start opening to their current season in the Barclays Premier League, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 seem to be struggling to find the consistency that was used to be their trademark.
In the past six matches the Blues have managed only two wins and one draw, losing the other three matches and denting their hopes of sneaking into fourth place and that highly contested final Champions League spot.
However, Chelsea have a chance to put things right and gain a bit of momentum as they are set to face an Aston Villa side that find themselves in 15h place and no hopes of finishing anywhere other than mid-table this season.
Yet, if one was to look at Villa’s form in the past six matches, it is not too different from Chelsea’s. The Villains have lost the same number of matches (3) as the Blues and drawn two matches with only one win. In essence, Chelsea have only scored two
more points than the home side.
The game is Chelsea’s to lose or rather draw for that matter, as the side will be buoyed by their recent triumph in Europe and will be looking to continue that form into the Barclays Premier League.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fernando-Torres-c13707, the Blue’s Misfiring striker, has shown increasing glimpses of his former devastating self in recent matches and one gets the feeling that it is only a matter of time before he starts firing in goals for fun.
One can expect Torres to start on the weekend as Di Matteo will be sure to give the striker every opportunity to bag himself a goal and Aston Villa present the perfect opportunity for that.
Another factor Chelsea have going in their favour, and at the same time have Aston Villa concerned, is the fact that their old guard, which former Chelsea manager Andrea Villas-Boas did not, has been in fine form.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gary-Cahill-c14439 also seems to have settled into the side as well. Yet, the glue seems to be Juan Mata and a lot depends on how he performs on the day.
As for Aston Villa, well the dip in Gabby Agbonlahor’s form has been widely noted and no one else in the side seems to be able to provide that same level of cutting edge.
In the end, the match is basically between a lustreless Aston Villa side and a resurgent Chelsea team. Based on that one can expect Chelsea to take all three points, yet at the same time a draw is not out of the question either, though it would take something
special from the home side to hold off the Blues.
Probable Starting XI:
Aston Villa: Given, Hutton, Collins, Cuellar, Warnock, Petrov, Herd, Albrighton, Ireland, Heskey, Agbonlahor.
Chelsea: Cech, Cole, Terry, Cahill, Luiz, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ramires-c30523, Lampard, Mata, Mikel, Drogba, Torres
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