Aston Villa vs. Chelsea Preview

It is an eight game campaign now for Chelsea who must overturn a five point deficit if they are to overhaul Tottenham Hotspur and qualify for next season’s Champions League.

The Blues had to settle for a draw on their last Premier League outing against Harry Redknapp’s men at White Hart Lane – a result which has really put pressure on the club to achieve a near 100% record from here on in to avoid the unthinkable scenario of dropping away from the continent’s top footballing table.

Aston Villa are the next club to stand in the way of Chelsea and a crucial three points - and the Villains will also be intent on claiming some form of result with their Premiership survival far from certain.

Alex McLeish’s side are languishing desperately in 15th place, just eight points away from the drop zone with a difficult stretch of games to come.

And the Scot may soon start to feel the heat from both supporters and the board unless top flight status for next season can be quickly secured.

On the contrary, interim Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo appears to be in a ‘no lose’ situation, as the Italian has simply been given a chance to do what he can and improve upon the results recorded under the axed Andre Villas Boas.

And Di Matteo has already firmed up his credentials for the post in the long term having inspired a remarkable comeback in the Champions League second phase against Napoli.

The Blues have a very winnable last eight tie against Benfica to look forward to, however if they fail to finish in the top four, they will have to win this year’s Champions League in order to return in 2012/2013.

On the whole, Chelsea’s form has really improved and it would be impossible to write them away from finishing the season as strongly as they need to.

Aston Villa were woefully exposed against a rampant Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and Di Matteo will be looking to instigate similar punishment with his hungry Chelsea side.

The Midlands club have often been tough to break down at Villa Park but with the likes of Juan Mata, Didier Drogba and a resurgent Fernando Torres in their attack, Chelsea should have enough drive and quality in hand to nail down an important victory.

Villa would have hoped for a much easier assignment than this to rediscover their form and their ageing, rigid defence could be taken apart again.

The hosts are also unlikely to offer a great deal up front having scored just 31 goals all season – a major benefit for Chelsea’s backline who can look suspect when put under sustained pressure.

Although punters need to rebuild their confidence and belief in the Blues after a non–existent title challenge, the 5/6 on offer for a Chelsea success is surely too good to miss considering how much Villa are struggling.

They may have failed to fire against Spurs, but Chelsea are just finding their feet again and may be just a few steps away from hitting top gear.

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28/03/2012     © Frixo 2024