Chelsea v Aston Villa Pre Match

[Percy McCarthy]

I fervently hope that the last games played without Kamara has shown beyond any shadow of a doubt that McGinn cannot play on the right! He ia a different person playing through the middle.  Emery will play Bailey and Buendia, with Luiz McGinn and Ramsey starting in the middle with Kamarra hopefully getting 20 minutes if needed.  Would also like a cameo from Carlos.

I disagree. The games before Kamara got injured, with McGinn on the right, were the games in which he rediscovered his mojo after being out of form for years in the middle.

[LeonW]

I think this is actually quite a big game. A win and suddenly we’re a couple of points off the teams chasing Europe with Leicester and Forrest to play after.

[Nev]

I think this is actually quite a big game. A win and suddenly we’re a couple of points off the teams chasing Europe with Leicester and Forrest to play after.

The Guardian don't. Once again in the preview of our game we are just a foot note while they wank on about some Chelsea player who might score or something. Fuck off.

[olaftab]

When was the last time 76% on pre match said we will not lose the game? Especially an away game?

[Tayls_7]

When was the last time 76% on pre match said we will not lose the game? Especially an away game?

Just wait a second.  I haven't made my selection yet.

[Baldy]

Daily Mirror Supercomputer predicts we will end up on 55 points in ninth place which is 8 points above Chelsea. Mind you, they do have a tough run in.

[eamonn]

I think this is actually quite a big game. A win and suddenly we’re a couple of points off the teams chasing Europe with Leicester and Forrest to play after.

The Guardian don't. Once again in the preview of our game we are just a foot note while they wank on about some Chelsea player who might score or something. Fuck off.

It wasn't written by that eejit Glendenning, was it? Bloody Birr midlands-accented bogger (no offence, Brazillian Villain - you're more...Brazillian).

[Risso]

Daily Mirror Supercomputer predicts we will end up on 55 points in ninth place which is 8 points above Chelsea. Mind you, they do have a tough run in.

I saw something on Twitter tyesterday that said that based on who we've got left to play and their current standings/form, we've got the second easiest run in.

[SoccerHQ]

Key is not to lose this.

Ideally we play this exactly like Spurs away which was a textbook Emery masterclass win against top 6 team.

Soak up pressure for first half but get in at 0-0, get an early second half goal and we pretty much eased to victory when it went to 2-0.

I do think Chelsea can hurt us a bit more as I worry about us picking Joao Felix up when he drops off the forward line. Hopefully Reece James is out as him and Chilwell either side is going to push our full backs well back.

That said with how we've played generally that should continue to match up well with how Potter plays. Our results v him for Swansea and Brighton in last five years were excellent and they were very lucky to win at VP when he was having a good start at Chelsea.

Would also help if we don't gift them a goal at a key point in the game when you think of the two Mings has presented for them in recent times. In the Boxing day fixture Cash also did a ridiculous challenge when he got wrong side and just lunged in to gift them a penalty.

Cool heads are needed when we're under pressure. If we can be o.k then I think we'll get a 1-1. If we follow that with wins v Leicester and Forest then we will be in the top half and table will look very interesting for last 8 games.

[SamTheMouse]

I think this is actually quite a big game. A win and suddenly we’re a couple of points off the teams chasing Europe with Leicester and Forrest to play after.

The Guardian don't. Once again in the preview of our game we are just a foot note while they wank on about some Chelsea player who might score or something. Fuck off.

I read that this morning too and my reaction similarly involved expletives!

[Bad English]

This is why we have to FTF and get the wankers from the Guardian to STFU.

[Monty]

It is amazing how whoever we play is more worthy of comment than we are literally every week. I get it that being 11th out of 10, as it were, neither right in there for Europe nor in any relegation danger you'd say, isn't especially interesting.

Nevertheless we'd go above Chelsea if we win! Is this nothing? We'd be, what, 5th if you only counted points under Emery? You'd think we were ten points behind them.

[LeeB]

It is amazing how whoever we play is more worthy of comment than we are literally every week. I get it that being 11th out of 10, as it were, neither right in there for Europe nor in any relegation danger you'd say, isn't especially interesting.

Nevertheless we'd go above Chelsea if we win! Is this nothing? We'd be, what, 5th if you only counted points under Emery? You'd think we were ten points behind them.

It's not even that we're not worthy of comment above our opponents, it tends to be just one of their players that's considered more important. And Kai Havertz is wank, I'm sorry. "Ooh, he's so elegant", fuck off, he'a just a lanky Mezut Ozil

[Smirker]

This is why we have to FTF and get the wankers from the Guardian to STFU.

Yes, time to FTF.

[Risso]

We're still very much under the radar as far as the national media is concerned. I had to drop my son off at school at 4.30am this morning as he's off to Italy on a school trip, and on the way back I had Talksport on. They were talking about the league table and how there's not really a traditional midtable as such, with the bottom half all in danger of relegation, and the top half all with an eye on various European places. One of the two presenters piped up with, "well, apart from Aston Villa in 11th." To be fair, his co-presenter did  put him right by stating we weren't far off 7th and if we beat Chelsea would be right up there, but the original comment just shows how lazy and uninformed a lot of journalists are.