Chelsea, match facts and opportunity

Something interesting happened yesterday. After all the games were played we stayed exactly where we started the day. I know you know what that means. It means opportunity. 

And the opportunity here is that if we win today, we start to create a little gap between the sides below us. And after the midweek experiment, I fancy the players are going to want to show the manager that they're ready for this.

In turn, they're going to be showing us that they are too and that's the important part for us. The important part for them today is in executing the plan and it doesn't get much tougher than Chelsea. Or actually, does it?

You know what, I think there are five or six tougher places than Chelsea and if we want to play with their ball, we have to see that as something we can overcome and moreso because of Thursday. Today is going to be even more interesting!

The only thing that is quite frustrating with the today is that most matches kick off at the same time. I'd have loved to watch Arsenal v Spurs, followed by Liverpool v West Ham and then us winning in London, I mean us playing Chelsea.

Anyway, time to cut the grass for the last time this season. Until the wine opens in a couple of hours.

Match facts from the BBC

Head-to-head

• Aston Villa won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in April and can register consecutive Premier League victories against Chelsea for the first time in 30 years.
• They haven't managed back-to-back away league wins versus the Blues since a run of three from 1930 to 1933.

Chelsea

• Chelsea have only won two of their 17 most recent league matches, accruing 12 points during that time.
• The Blues have registered just four home league victories in the past 18 attempts, beating Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Luton Town.
• They have scored 53 goals in their last 50 Premier League games. Manchester City amassed 135 goals over the same period.
• Chelsea's solitary victory last season in their 20 top-flight fixtures against the teams that finished in the top half of the table was 2-0 at Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa in October 2022.
• Mauricio Pochettino has won his last four matches against Villa in all competitions.

Aston Villa

• Villa have won just one of their past seven Premier League away games, at Burnley last month, while their only top-flight clean sheet in 10 on the road came in a 2-0 win at Chelsea on 1 April.
• Their five Premier League fixtures this season have produced 21 goals, second only to the 22 in matches involving Brighton prior to this weekend.
• Aston Villa are unbeaten in all four Premier League games in London under Unai Emery (W2, D2).
• Ollie Watkins has scored once in his past 12 league appearances, directly following a run of 11 goals in 12.