Not losing to Juventus was a good result but we should have won and anyone that tells you different, isn’t a football person. That written, it was good in the sense that it’s not a defeat and it keeps us in a good place ahead of RB Leipzig in a couple of weeks.
We should be two points better off though!
But this post is about Chelsea tomorrow and not about what did or didn’t happen in the week. This post is very much about what’s most important this season and it’s finishing in the top four again. And this is going to be a tough match.
Chelsea are looking very good and things seem to be starting to gel for them whereas teams seem to be figuring us out. That said, we’ve not lost in two and that’s got to be seen as a positive. And getting three points in London would put us on the same points as Chelsea and have everyone feeling good.
Losing tomorrow however would create a six point gap to Chelsea and could see Manchester United, currently twelfth, ahead of us if they beat Everton. The wheels are not falling off but we need to steady the ship and we need to get a grip on things. Tomorrow is a big big match and an important one.
And while the most important person at the Club is the manager, some of the players need to take responsibility and they know who they are. And I’m not blaming anyone, but a big thing was made after Emery came in about how he had Ollie stay in the middle, but all I’m seeing these days is Ollie out wide trying to pick up balls.
And that’s probably because we have nobody on the left and Bailey on the right.
I’m convinced that Bailey is a confidence player and I don’t think at this level we can afford to have confidence players in the team. He has to start to turn it on and prove the likes of me wrong or the manager has to give Jaden Philogene a proper run as first choice. Tomorrow is that opportunity, if Bailey gets the nod.
That said, Kamara is back and he looked good against Juventus and January is a month away and we know what we’re missing. But if things don’t change between now and then, hoping we win the Champions League to qualify again for the Champions League is a big ask.
I’ll be back tomorrow, more positive.
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
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Aston Villa can earn three successive away league wins against Chelsea for only the second time, having done so between 1930 and 1933.
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Villa are vying to become the first visiting team to keep three top-flight clean sheets in a row at Stamford Bridge since Everton from 1977 to 1984.
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These teams also met in last season’s FA Cup fourth round, with Chelsea progressing 3-1 in a replay at Villa Park after a goalless draw at home.
Chelsea
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Chelsea were winless in all eight league matches last season against the teams that finished in the top four (D5, L3) – and they’ve only taken one point from three meetings with those sides in 2024-25.
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Nonetheless, their only three defeats in the past 27 top-flight games came away to Arsenal and Liverpool and at home to Manchester City (W15, D9).
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The Blues are in danger of going seven consecutive top-flight home matches without a clean sheet from the beginning of a season for the first time since a run of nine in 1978-79.
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Only 41% of Chelsea’s points this season have come at home, the lowest percentage of any side so far this term.
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Nicolas Jackson has been directly involved in 17 goals in his past 20 Premier League appearances, scoring 12 and setting up five.
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No player has created more chances from open play in the Premier League this season than Cole Palmer, with 28. Palmer has made four appearances in all competitions without ever scoring against Aston Villa; he only has a worse record against Liverpool, who he’s faced five times.
Aston Villa
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Aston Villa are winless in seven games in all competitions (D3, L4). It’s their longest run without a victory under Unai Emery.
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They lost all three competitive away matches in November, having won five and drawn one of their opening six fixtures on the road this season.
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Villa have earned 11 points from losing positions in 2024-25, behind only Manchester City’s 13.
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Their only clean sheet in 17 league matches came in a 0-0 home draw against Manchester United last month. Villa have conceded 31 goals during that period, an average of 1.82 per game.
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Ollie Watkins could become the first visiting player to score three match-winning goals at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.
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Jhon Duran scored five goals in his first eight substitute appearances for Villa this season but has failed to score in eight subsequent cameos off the bench.
