Chelsea star lauds Mauricio Pochettino for recent form turnaround in the Premier League
Chelsea Football Club have been the reflection of the word inconsistency on the football pitch. They ship six past a low-block side one week and get hammered 5-0 in the next game. It is very difficult to call what might transpire when it comes to the Blues. Mauricio Pochettino has put in the work behind the scenes as always, and the players, sometimes show up. Other times, not one bit.
We make our visit to Villa Park this Sunday in pursuit of three crucial points which will take us from ninth on the table to eighth. What an awful thing to even say. These are not Chelsea standards for sure. However, it is what it is at this moment in time. Villa, on the other hand, have been unbeaten in their last five home games.
Even in the last three Premier League matches between the sides, Unai Emery’s side holds the aces; two wins and a loss. However, we won in our most recent visit to Birmingham, beating Villa 3-1 in the FA Cup game earlier this year in February. However, in the league, things are much different.
Villa are out to achieve their first league double over Chelsea since before the Premier League era began. They last accomplished this in 1989-90, when Chelsea were newly promoted, and Villa ended the season in second place. While second is surely out of the reckoning this time, they can ensure UCL football.
They are pushing hard to secure a top-four spot and, with a 39.6% chance as per Opta, they’re the favourites over fifth-placed Tottenham. Also, Chelsea have won just one of their last eight Premier League games outside of London while drawing two and losing five. Apart from the basic statistics, let’s get to the football aspect of things.
Without Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the park, Chelsea lose a lot of physical prowess. And against boys from Birmingham, you surely need to boss the midfield battle. A midfield duo of Youri Tielemans and John McGinn is the perfect balance of flair and industry who are sure to put in the hard yards.
The Blues will need a major shift from their midfielders to assert dominance in this game. That is where you unlock the game by controlling the tempo and playing football your way. Chelsea have had a tough time doing that in the last few weeks and there is no reason to believe that trend would continue against a Villa side playing on the front foot.
Villa’s MOTM in their win against Chelsea earlier this season will not play this weekend and we must make best use of the absence of Boubakar Kamara among others.
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