Chelsea play host to Aston Villa today. A Chelsea win would put Chelsea into 3rd place. In this fixture last season Aston Villa beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge. The last time these sides met Chelsea beat Aston Villa 4-2. Team line ups; Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole; Lampard (c), David Luiz; Moses, Mata, Hazard; Torres. Substitutes: Turnbull, Ferreira, Nathan Ake, Ramires, Marin, Piazon, Oscar. Aston Villa (3-5-2) Guzan; Herd, Clark (c), Baker; Lowton, Westwood, Holman, Bannan, Lichaj; Weimann, Benteke. Substitutes: Given, Bennett, El Ahmadi, Ireland, Albrighton, Delph, Bowery. Head-to-head Aston Villa's last five matches at Stamford Bridge have produced a total of 28 goals. That run includes 3-3 and 4-4 draws (in 2011 and 2007 respectively), a 7-1 defeat in 2010 and a 3-1 victory last season. Chelsea The Blues have failed to win their last four Premier League home games, their longest winless streak at Stamford Bridge since September 2002. If they fail to win on Sunday it will be their worst home run in the top flight since a 12-match streak between November 1994 and March 1995. They have failed to score in their last two top-flight home matches. It is 250 minutes since their last league goal at Stamford Bridge, which was scored by John Terry in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool on 11 November. Chelsea have won seven of the eight league games Frank Lampard has played in this season (W7, D1). Without him their record reads W1, D4, L3. The Blues have used 20 players in this season's Premier League, fewer than any other side. Rafael Benitez lost one of 12 games against Aston Villa as Liverpool manager (W7, D4, L1). Aston Villa Villa's starting line-up against Liverpool was the youngest the club have ever fielded in a Premier League match, with an average age of 23 years and 309 days. It was also the youngest team picked by any club in this season's Premier League. They are hoping to win back-to-back league matches for the first time since May 2011. Eleven, or 73%, of Villa's 15 league goals this season have come from strikers - a higher proportion than any other side. Christian Benteke has scored four goals in his last five league and cup games, while Andreas Weimann has netted five in six appearances.
Sorry I know it's completely of topic but I'm watching the united Swansea match and during the half time analysis one of the pundits was talking about how Evra didn't track the runner for Swanseas goal. His comments were its a shame his defensive qualities let him down! Couldn't stop laughing!
Well well well. Luiz in midfield. Lets see what will happen tonight. This may well be make or break for us.
Luiz has got great football ability there is creativity in his play. He likes to do a lot of work with the ball lets see how he'll do in this new central midfield position. May prove to be a quality centre midfielder.
Mata delivers a in-swing corner cross as the ball bounces inside the box Cahill's shot rebounds off Villa's goalkeeper and Ivanovic is there to head in from 6 yards out. Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa.
All of our Brazilians involved in all the goals, David Luiz free kick, Oscar scored a penalty and got a assist, Piazon got an assist and Ramires scores 2.
One word. Ruthless. Still not convinced by Rafa though. Yeah we stuffed villa but sterner tests are due. It was about bloody time we won at home again. Ill take nothing away from either side though. Fantastic performance and villa can hold their heads up. We were too much for a very young inexperienced Aston Villa side today. Happy Christmas everyone!
