Tag: Aston Villa

Chelsea V Aston Villa: Carabao Cup Match Preview:

Posted in PreviewsTagged , , , , Leave a comment

Chelsea’s opening league cup game is upon us, and after years of disappointment in the competition, can Chelsea finally change their fortune and go all the way. Granted, the Carabao Cup is not of the greatest importance, and us Chelsea fans know we have our eyes set on something bigger this season. But it’s okay to be greedy, right? Lets have them all.

Aston Villa stand in Chelsea’s way tonight, and a visit to Stamford Bridge is not the ideal start to the cup campaign for the Villians, having lost 3-0 at the Bridge two weeks prior. In the blue corner, however, Chelsea will be hoping to dispatch of Villa and progress to the last 16.

As we all know, form means little to nothing when it comes to the cup. Game plans go out the window, and things change dramatically. But I’m going to talk about it anyway. Chelsea are still unbeaten this season, having only dropped points to Liverpool. Villa are 3/5 in their last five matches, including the aforementioned loss to the Champions of Europe. Chelsea haven’t lost since todays opponents defeated them on the last game of the 2020/21 season.

Team news and Updates:

Early cup games can often be the breakthrough for players who are missing out on frequent minutes in the league. That is, however, when you aren’t up against another Premier League side. This may change Tuchel’s outlook on the game, but with that being said, I still expect to see a lot of rotation this evening.

One man I do think could feature from the first whistle is Timo Werner. Timo looked lively when he came on against Spurs, and even got an assist for Toni Rudiger’s goal. Moments like this are exactly what Timo needs to improve his confidence, and I think tonight’s game could be an excellent chance for him to get some vital minutes under his belt, along with a potential goal that could make all the difference for his confidence.

‘Timo can play with Romelu, that is sure, and he did very well at Tottenham the last 25 to 30 minutes of the match,’ he said. ‘That gave us a clear impression of how dangerous these two can be together.’

Thomas Tuchel via chelseafc.com

Predicted Lineup:

Arrizabalaga

Chalobah, Christensen, Rudiger

James, Saul, Barkley, Chilwell

Ziyech, Werner, Hudson-Odoi

With Mendy being confirmed to be unavailable, I think Kepa takes the GK spot this evening. Bettinelli could take it, however, I think we will see a strong Villa side this evening, so to try something so left field wouldn’t be a wise move. I think Barkley is questionable, and Kovacic could start ahead of him, but I would just like to see what Ross could do against the club he spent a season on loan with last year. Players to watch:

Andreas Christensen: AC has been nothing short of exceptional over the past 6-8 months, and his work rate has been tremendous. The ‘Danish Maldini’ has completely turned his career around, and looks more than the player we all hoped he would be. His performances as of late have been outstanding, and I think he has a chance of captaining the side this evening. AC has just been so good, and I can see another standout performance over the horizon.

Danny Ings: Ings grabbed an assist at the weekend against Everton in Villa’s 3-0 romping of the Toffees, and has had a solid start to the season at his new club. Villa’s tactical style suits Ings very well, and given the chance, I think he could cause some trouble for Chelsea’s GK this evening. Let’s hope I’m wrong.

Score Prediction:

Chelsea 3-1 Villa

Werner, Ziyech, Barkley

Ings

Written by @mashgreaves

Chelsea v Aston Villa – Match Preview

Posted in PreviewsTagged , , , , Leave a comment

After an international break that felt like an eternity, the Blues are finally back in action after appearing in World Cup qualifiers over the past week. Our international blues were up to a lot, with great performances all round. Now, however, our attention turns back to the Premier League, and following our last outing, the boys will need to ensure the momentum continues. Unbeaten in our first three games, Chelsea sit 4th on seven points, with this weekend’s opponents on four points, losing their opening game against newly promoted Watford.

Our last outing didn’t go entirely as planned, with another questionable refereeing performance from Anthony Taylor costing us three points, but then again, grass is green. Reece James will miss the game against Villa following his straight red (yes, it still baffles me after two weeks) card for handball. But not all hope was lost, as we held on for the best part of 70 minutes with 10 men, showing huge signs of improvement defensively.

Now we must look forward towards a Villa side who have lost their main spark, and have struggled to look like the Villa of last season. However, it is still very early, so too much cannot be said about form. Saying that, Chelsea’s unbeaten start will be sure to provide a confidence boost to the Blues, as they look to achieve their 600th Premier League victory, second only to Manchester United.

Team news and updates:

Thomas Tuchel has provided injury updates on three of our players, firstly N’Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic, who the gaffer says will both miss the game this weekend.

‘N’Golo got injured in the Liverpool game and still suffers a little bit. We are trying with N’Golo for Tuesday. This looks pretty good.

‘For Christian unfortunately he came yesterday on crutches. He has an ankle injury [that will rule him out] for about 10 days.’

Thomas Tuchel via Chelseafc.com

Kante is a huge miss for Chelsea as both Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic played a lot of minutes during the international break for their respected nations, meaning both players may be suffering with fatigue, with an increased chance of injury. This does, however, mean we may see new signing Saul Niquez make his Chelsea debut alongside one of the aforementioned players.

Tuchel also gave an update regarding Romelu Lukaku’s thigh injury.

‘Maybe he had some problems but he came back two days ago, he trained yesterday and today full, no problems at all.’

Thomas Tuchel via Chelseafc.com

Predicted Lineup:

Mendy,

Chalobah, Christensen, Rudiger

Azpilicueta, Saul, Jorginho, Alonso

Havertz, Lukaku, Mount

Given James’ suspension, it was difficult to decide on Azpi or Hudson-Odoi at RWB, but given CHO’s lack of game time so far this season, I think it is likely we see Azpi take the spot. I’ve gone for Alonso over Chilwell because I don’t think Marcos has done anything to warrant being dropped, as he’s had a solid start to the campaign. I’m curious to see how a Saul and J5 pivot would work, but given the Kante injury, I feel this is one of the few options we do have for the two CM spots. And finally, the usual front three because these three create magic together, as we have seen in recent weeks.

Players to watch:

Saul Niguez: There is one player that I believe will be at the forefront of everyone’s attention in Stamford Bridge this weekend, and that is new signing Saul. Chelsea fans will be eager to see how the Spaniard gets on in his potential first game for the Blues. Tuchel has said he has been training well, and by the loos of the training videos, he seems to have settled in already.

Danny Ings: Ings has been electric since his move from Southampton, and the Goal of the Month winner will be sure to provide problems for Chelsea’s back three. The England international has proved his worth over the past few years, and is rewarding Villa fans every time he steps on the pitch. Chelsea will have their hands full dealing with him.

Score Prediction:

Chelsea 3-1 Villa.

Havertz, Lukaku, Jorginho

Ings

Written by @mashgreaves

Podcast: Live Stamford Bridge Fan Experience & Chelsea vs Aston Villa Preview!

Posted in Podcast, Previews, ReviewsTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

NOW WE ARE TALKING! | Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund Review – The Chelsea Spot Podcast

  1. NOW WE ARE TALKING! | Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund Review
  2. Scared, Potter?

We’re sorry for taking such a long break, but we’re back! In another episode of The Chelsea Spot Podcast, Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho), Michael (Writer – @MNazarian10) and Rob (Writer – @CFCRobL) discuss both recent games against Leicester City and Orlando’s experience at the game, and also look ahead to tomorrow’s huge final game of the EPL season against Aston Villa. 

Click your preferred streaming platform –

Spotify

Apple

Make sure to check us out on all our social media platforms, including our website, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, ITunes, Amazon Music, Google and Youtube.

Frank Lampard’s Time With Chelsea Shouldn’t Be Viewed As A Complete Failure

Posted in OpinionTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

When Frank Lampard became the manager of Chelsea FC in the summer of 2019, many didn’t know what to expect. Coming off his first full season as manager for Derby County in the EFL Championship, his side finished short of being promoted back to the English Premier League. They lost 2-1 versus Aston Villa in the final of their playoffs and, despite that, they had a successful season that saw the team mature and grow. 

Lampard, who spent 13 seasons with Chelsea as a player, had a positive first season as manager of the club. He led his side to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, which secured their spot in the Champions League for the 2020/21 campaign. Additionally, Chelsea advanced to the FA Cup finals versus Arsenal, yet lost 3-1.

However, they weren’t as fortunate in the League Cup and the Champions League as they had bitter defeats versus Manchester United and Bayern Munich, with the latter proving to be too much to handle. It was a learning curve for Lampard as it was his first time managing a club in the Champions League. A tough task to do with limited managerial experience.

In Lampard’s first season, he exceeded expectations for his side after a transfer ban in the summer of 2018. He had the daunting task of not being able to sign players that he would have wanted to and, instead, had to depend on players who returned from the prior season and also relied on the Youth Academy. Although the ban was lifted and they were able to sign players in the winter transfer market, not much was done, which left Lampard in a difficult situation.

Most managers would prefer to arrive, transform the club as to how they would want it and have the flexibility to buying players in the transfer market. Lampard took on a challenging task and, in doing so, he has been able to take many Chelsea academy players to the next level in their young career.

Last season, Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Reece James broke into the first team and got their opportunity to show what they could provide to Chelsea. All three players didn’t disappoint as they finished the season rather impressively. Mount and Abraham had a combined 22 goals in the Premier League, while James proved to be a capable backup to Cesar Azpilicueta for the foreseeable future. He is a physical defender, with strong tackles and a good read for the game.

Heading into the 2020/21 season, expectations became much different for Lampard. This time around, the club had a full summer transfer window to purchase and were quite active, to say the least. They brought young, highly talented players, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell. They also brought veteran Thiago Silva to provide leadership and experience in the backend. They spent an excess of 200 million Euros in the summer transfer window and expectations were high.

Lampard’s job was in jeopardy at the mid-point of the season as his side had failed to produce. They exited early in the League Cup versus Tottenham Hotspur, advanced his side to the round of 16 in the Champions League and won against Hull City to advance into the fourth round of the FA Cup. Prior to his firing, Chelsea was sitting in ninth place in the Premier League. The results were encouraging yet not enough to save his job.

Lampard’s first season was more lenient given the circumstances the club faced however in his second season, club owner, Roman Abramovich, didn’t wait to evaluate Lampard’s performance as manager. The club decided to replace him with ex-PSG manager, Thomas Tuchel, which caught many by surprise when the deal was announced.

While it was sad to see Lampard leave Chelsea, he did his best in a tough situation the past two seasons. One noticeable area of concern was Lampard’s lack of managerial experience. Far too often this season, he had players in positions that were not their regulation position. Specifically, Werner, who was used as a left-wing but spent most of his time as a centre-forward with RB Leipzig. The German has struggled to find consistency, along with not scoring at the same rate he did in the Bundesliga.

All the blame shouldn’t be squared solely on Lampard. It was well known that he had limited managerial experience and he was going to need time to learn and adapt. Many successful managers have advanced through the youth rankings or have managed the lower divisions to help them gain experience. Lampard should have been given the proper time to adjust and figure it out with Chelsea. That’s never the case with Abramovich, who is known to have little patience.

Additionally, Chelsea acquired a plethora of new players in the summer transfer market and they had limited time to become familiar with each other. Training camp was shortened this season as Covid-19 altered the season and the scheduling. Injuries and illnesses also hampered Lampard’s squad, which made it difficult to have a full roster where players could play regularly.

While it didn’t go as planned this season, the Englishman was able to keep Chelsea on course through difficult times. Now he will embark on a new journey in his managerial career. Regardless of how it went, he will always be a Blue who gave it his all just as he did when he was a player with the club.

Podcast: Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa Match Review!

Posted in Podcast, ReviewsTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
https://webplayer.whooshkaa.com/episode/774243?theme=dark&visual=true&scrolling-title=true&autoplay=true&enable-volume=true&iframe-height=190
Everyone needs to calm down a little bit… Lampard IN!

In another episode of The Chelsea Spot Podcast, Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho) and Dan (Admin – @danbarkzr) discuss Chelsea’s draw to Aston Villa, including Tammy Abraham vs Olivier Giroud, a potential loan for Billy Gilmour, an exceptional performance from Callum Hudson-Odoi, Lampard IN, player ratings and so much more!

Prefer to listen elsewhere? Click your preferred streaming platform –

Spotify

Apple

Make sure to check us out on all our social media platforms, including our website, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, ITunes, Amazon Music, Google and Youtube.

Is Barkley’s loan move the right decision?

Posted in OpinionTagged , , , Leave a comment

It has been confirmed by the club that Ross Barkley has completed a one-year loan move to Aston Villa. In this piece, I will look at whether this the right decision by the club, and the effect it may have on Chelsea’s season in the long run?

Ross Barkley’s Chelsea career has ultimately been a successful one. With two trophies in 3 seasons to his name and some pivotal performances in blue, the Englishman has divided opinions across the entire fan base. Whether you like him or not, it can’t be denied that Ross Barkley has given his all in a Chelsea shirt, and will be missed throughout this season.

So with that being said, why is this transfer so important?

Given the fact that it is now unlikely for Chelsea to bring anyone into the club to replace Barkley, the attacking midfield options are now very thin. With Ruben Loftus Cheek struggling to find his feet after a spell of injuries halting his development, it leaves Chelsea with the aforementioned Loftus Cheek, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz as attacking options as either 8s or 10s. New signing Hakim Ziyech can also comfortably play in the middle, but it is more than likely we will see the Moroccan international start out on the right when he is back from injury, due to the departures of Willian and Pedro leaving Chelsea thin on the ground in wide options.

With this being said, was it the right call for Barkley to go out on loan? It will only take one injury to either Mason Mount or Kai Havertz to severely put Chelsea on the back foot. Youngster Conor Gallagher also left the club earlier this month to complete a one-year loan move to West Bromwich Albion, which is another option gone for the season. With the Carabao Cup exit last week, Chelsea will have fewer games, however, fatigue and possible injury will still be a huge factor, and Chelsea may really miss Barkley’s presence come December when games come thick and fast. On the other hand, Barkley would not have been used as a key player this season, and Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech would have been selected before Barkley, meaning this move may not be the worst decision by the club, as it gives Barkley a chance to develop away from the club.

Chelsea's Forgotten Man Ross Barkley Fighting to Prevent Another False Dawn
Barkley and the Boss last season (Image credit: http://www.si.com

Good move for Barkley?:

It is likely that Barkley would have been used predominantly off the bench this season, so from his perspective the move is perfect. He is almost guaranteed regular first-team football at Villa Park, and at the age of 26, Barkley will still want to fight for his place in the England squad. The move to Aston Villa allows him much more of an opportunity for this than if he was to stay at Chelsea, which makes this move a smart one for him.

Barkley fits into Aston Villa’s side comfortably, with Dean Smith being able to play him along side Jack Grealish as two 8’s, or deploying either man on the left flank with the other playing as a 10, allowing Villa to create attacks with more versitility. Barkley in the side allows for John McGinn and Douglas Luiz to cover the defensive duties, which will ultimately strengthen the Villa back line. This move also takes the pressure off of Barkley as at a club like Chelsea, the expectations are through the roof, whereas a season at Villa Park will allow Ross to play with more confidence, which will improve his overall game.

Another reason as to why this move is a strange one from Chelsea’s point of view is that Barkley is a player with a lot of quality, and on his day, can create moments which win games, for example, his goals against Liverpool and Leicester in the FA Cup last season. Barkley also changed the game against Brighton on the opening weekend this season, adding fight and determination to a pretty stale encounter, thus leading to Chelsea’s triumph. Barkley is a very important player to have in the squad, so this transfer could prove to be costly for the Blues in the long run.

Thankfully, this is only a loan deal, meaning Barkley will return at the end of the season. Should Chelsea manage without the Liverpudlian, Ross may depart on a permanent basis if he has a successful season away from the Bridge. If this is the case, Chelsea will need to look at a replacement, whether it is just a squad strengthener or a marquee signing. Nonetheless, we wish Ross the best of luck at Aston Villa.

The Chelsea Spot Podcast #11 – Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa Match Review!

Posted in PodcastTagged , , , , , Leave a comment
https://webplayer.whooshkaa.com/episode/679186?theme=dark&visual=true&scrolling-title=true&enable-volume=true
Aston Villa Match Review!

In our eleventh episode of The Chelsea Spot podcast, Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho), Danny (@danny_new_) and Ameya (@LampardsLegacy) discuss Chelsea’s quickfire comeback against Aston Villa and talk about Loftus-Cheek’s fitness and him getting the start, Mason Mount’s performance and Lampard’s in game management to bring on Pulisic at the exact right time.

Prefer to listen elsewhere? Click your preferred streaming platform –

Spotify

Apple

Make sure to check us out on all our social media platforms, including our website, Twitter, Spotify, ITunes and Deezer.

#TheChelseaSpot | #Chelsea | #CFC

Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa: The Blues complete quickfire comback

Posted in ReviewsTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

After being 1-0 down at Half-Time, Chelsea fought back in the second half with two quick goals to gain three points.

Chelsea’s first game since the halt in the season was against Aston Villa, and the other results in the Premier League gave us a huge chance to increase the gap. Arsenal and Sheffield United lost, while Manchester United and Spurs drew against each other, with Leicester City also only picking up one point.

Chelsea’s fixture list certainly is not the nicest, with the Blues still having to play the likes of Liverpool, Wolves and Sheffield, meaning that we had to take all three points today.

Image
IMAGE SOURCE: CHELSEA FC

At 3.15pm the lineup was announced, and there certainly were mixed reactions all over social media. Fans were absolutely delighted to see Loftus-Cheek start in what was his first game in over a year, yet the sighting of Pulisic, Giroud, Gilmour and James certainly surprised many supporters.

We also had been hearing that Lampard was trying a new tactic with the 4-3-3 with N’Golo Kante as the holding midfielder, and today’s lineup certainly suggested he would be the deepest of all three, with Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount either side of him.

The first half begun, with everyone in the stadium taking a knee down as part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement in the Premier League. As expected, Chelsea dominated the ball and at a point had 77% possession, but were still unable to put the ball in the back of the net after Aston Villa defended incredibly deep as a block.

Chances were being created, with Mount striking a ball brilliantly from the edge of the box with his left foot forcing a great save, as well as putting in an outstanding ball after a beautiful skill which on another day Loftus-Cheek would have scored. Crosses were being spammed into the box by Willian and Azpilicueta in the first half, but the forwards couldn’t get their toes on it or they ended up in Row Z.

Kante was enjoying himself in the new tactic, pinging the ball left right and centre, while Kovacic wasn’t able to get that involved in the game. Here’s where the statement ‘typical Chelsea’ comes in play.

Just before half-time, one set piece for Aston Villa, they cross it in, goal. Kepa made a solid save, but was left picking the ball up from the back of the net after there was not a single Chelsea player to react from the initial save, while Hause was left with a simple tap-in. The whole mood was destroyed and the Blues’ domination came to a waste, however even at half-time, there was always that hope that Chelsea could get back into the game, something which we rarely see.

Image

Chelsea came out in the second half, with no changes, with some even questioning the in game management. Lampard gave another 10 minutes to Loftus-Cheek and Kovacic, yet both were unable to make any difference in the beginning of the second 45 minutes and were swiftly brought off for Pulisic and Barkley respectfully.

Loftus-Cheek was always going to have a rough game, and Lampard has said this game was more about his ‘physicality.’ Getting 55 minutes without any problems or injuries is definitely one of the huge positives from today. Kovacic wasn’t able to show enough quality which we know he has, and has always struggled playing in the box to box role next to Kante, which is something which perhaps could be looked into later.

The two substitutions changed the game. They brought a bit of flair, pace and movement, which completely threw off the structured Aston Villa team. 5 minutes later, Pulisic scored with his left foot on the half volley after a wonderful cross from Azpilicueta, and from then on the game really was in Chelsea’s hand.

Image

Two minutes after our first goal, the ball fell nicely to Giroud who turned and shot with his weak foot, with it ending up in the back of the net via a deflection. From that moment on, Chelsea just had to make sure to defend their lead and always looked comfortable.

Chelsea were back to controlling the ball, and there were a few heart attacks on the way with Rudiger and Christensen having huge lapses of concentration, but Villa were never really a threat in front of goal otherwise. A few mistakes from Reece James almost cost us in the end, but the ball was cleared and the ref blew his final whistle.

Like everyone said before, it doesn’t matter how Chelsea were going to get the three points, it just mattered that we did. And Lampard’s squad delivered.

Kepa showed glimpses of the 72 million value, Azpilicueta got two assists while Alonso disappointed, Christensen looked solid in the first half but then followed Rudiger in having idiotic moments.

Kante’s new role certainly impressed many fans, with Mount being my own Man of the Match after some incredible pressing and work in the #8 role.

Willian also showed a few bright moments, Loftus-Cheek gained fitness, Giroud scored a goal and the American impressed once again from the bench. Lampard’s in game management is not to be missed either, who got the second half spot on.

Who was your Man of the Match? Let us know on our social media platforms.

Written by Paree

Aston Villa vs Chelsea: Match Preview

Posted in PreviewsTagged , , , 1 Comment

The time has finally come. Our beloved Blues are back in action on Sunday 21st June, as Frank Lampard takes his side to the midlands, where Chelsea will meet Aston Villa at Villa Park. Prior to the break caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Chelsea had struck a golden run of form, knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup, and hitting Everton for four at Stamford Bridge. Both games shocked all as Billy Gilmour stole the spotlight, picking up back to back Man of the Match awards. The same cannot be said for Aston Villa, as Dean Smith’s side have only managed a single point in their last 6 fixtures. The one point they managed to secure came after a 0-0 draw with Sheffield United on the first game since the break, following a controversial decision leading to a disallowed Blades goal, in which the hawk-eye technology system failed to inform referee Michael Oliver that the ball had crossed the line.

With the return of the Premier League kicking off on Wednesday evening, clubs have been making their preparations in order to finish the season on a high. Aston Villa recently held a friendly with West Brom at Villa Park, which finished 2-2. The Lions then took place in 2 training exercises with Leicester City, but there are no official reports on the scorelines. As mentioned previously, Villa only managed a point on the restart game which kept them in 19th place. Chelsea have also been buckling down, with the players looking confident and full of motivation for the restart. The Blues defeated Reading 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, with Pedro supplying the goal, and also bulldozed through Queens Park Rangers 7-1, with Ruben Loftus Cheek and Billy Gilmour both scoring twice, along with Mason Mount, Willian and Olivier Giroud.

There is currently a 22 point gap between the two sides, with Chelsea sitting in 4th place, and Manchester United, Sheffield United and Wolves breathing down their necks, and Villa are battling for survival, but just a point away from safety. Chelsea and Villa both need a victory as much as each other and with Villa gaining a controversial yet respectable point against Sheffield United, the Blues will need to ensure their focus is at its peak. 5th place Manchester United were held to a draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday evening, meaning a victory on Sunday will put Lampard’s men 5 points clear of Manchester United.

How the Blues could line up:

After the long break the boys have had, our injured players have had a chance to return to full fitness. Players like Ruben Loftus Cheek and Christian Pulisic to name a few, have been seen training with the full squad and looking very spritely too. I expect Frank will favour the 4-3-3 formation which he has implemented for the most part of the season, with my expected lineup as follows:
Kepa, James, Christensen, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Barkley, Gilmour, Willian, Mount, Abraham.
As much as us fans want to see Loftus Cheek in the starting XI, it is unlikely that he will be implemented in this way after so long out. With the new rule allowing teams to make 5 substitutions as opposed to 3 however, we can expect to see the Englishman on the field on Sunday.

The same goes for Christian Pulisic and N’Golo Kante, who have also been suffering from injuries over the past few months. The opportunity to make 5 substitutions could enhance Chelsea’s performance because of the depth in the squad. Chelsea will hope for a repeat of the reverse fixture, where the Blues came out victorious with a 2-1 victory, with goals coming from Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount.

Frank attended a press conference on Friday and discussed a number of aspects of the vastly awaited return. The Boss said “We’ve trained really well and had some friendlies but nothing replicated the Premier League. We have to go full throttle no matter what game it is in terms of giving it everything. It won’t be easy but we need to be focused and be at our best.” Lampard also stated that we will be without Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who are both out with short term injuries. A promising sign for Chelsea fans is that Frank has confirmed Ruben Loftus Cheek is physically fit and has looked good in training. Lampard also looks forward to reuniting with John Terry on the sidelines on Sunday. “I have huge respect for him as a friend but we both have big things at stake.”

Players to watch:

Tammy Abraham: Chelsea’s current top scorer has a huge point to prove with the upcoming continuation of the Premier League season. Chelsea have all but confirmed the signing of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig, which means Abraham will be faced with some serious competition come next season, as well as Olivier Giroud signing a contract extension, proving he is still up to the task. With Abraham shining in the first part of the season, watch out for the Englishman to be even more hungry when the season resumes.

Jack Grealish: Grealish has been Aston Villa’s starman for years now, and the player oozes quality when he steps on the pitch. With 13 goal involvements for the struggling Villa side, the captain will be on the front line in an attempt to prevent Chelsea from running away with the game. Grealish recently scored in the behind closed doors friendly with West Brom and also put up some very impressive numbers against Sheffield United, with 100% final third pass accuracy, 97% overall pass accuracy, 3 chances created and 2 successful take-ons. With this performance, Grealish will hope to carry that form into Sunday’s fixture.

Key Battle:

Tammy Abraham vs Tyrone Mings
These two men know each other very well, as the duo helped Aston Villa achieve promotion to the Premier League last season. With Abraham’s sharp turns and fierce movement, Mings will have to step up to plate to prohibit Abraham from firing the Blues ahead. Mings matches Abraham in the air and takes the edge on physicality, but Abraham will hope to stay one step ahead of the Villa defender, and lead Chelsea to victory.

Written by Mash Greaves

The Simon Phillips Show #4 – Transfer Roundup & Aston Villa Preview!

Posted in PodcastTagged , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
https://webplayer.whooshkaa.com/episode/677677?theme=dark&visual=true&scrolling-title=true&enable-volume=true
Transfer Roundup & Aston Villa Preview!

In our fourth episode of the Simon Phillips show, Simon discusses the latest transfer news regarding the Football Club, including Werner’s finalised move to Chelsea, Havertz, Chilwell, Pedro and Willian.

In the second part, we talk about our upcoming game against Aston Villa and Loftus-Cheek’s fitness.

Prefer to listen elsewhere? Click your preferred streaming platform –

Spotify

Apple

Make sure to check us out on all our social media platforms, including our website, Twitter, Spotify, ITunes and Deezer, as well as Simon’s.
#TheChelseaSpot | #Chelsea | #CFC