English Premier
2011-01-02 - Chelsea vs Aston Villa
A Sports Betting Pick by Cruiser
Match Analysis :
Chelsea will look to pile more pressure on Gerard Houlier's Aston Villa side as they clash at Stamford Bridge and it must be said that their last win against Bolton was hugely welcome, albeit by 1-0 scoreline, as Chelsea had gone six Premier League games without a win before that.
Carlo Ancelotti knows a win is a must as Chelsea find themselves now 7 points behind Manchester United after the Red Devils beat West Brom to go 7 points clear at the top. So the Blues have to start winning matches now as Manchester United still have a game over them and the Blues cannot afford to drop anymore points if they are to defend their title.
Chelsea will want to start off the new year as how they started it when they scored 27 goals in their ten opening matches. However, since then they have hit just six in nine outings and have failed to score more than once in a top-flight fixture since October.
But they will be happy that their opponents are Aston Villa who are on a poor run that has seen them drop to the relegation battle.
Gerard Houlier's Aston Villa side have suffered five defeats in their last six games and are just a point above the relegation zone.
Villa have problems scoring away from home as they have scored just once in their last five games on their travels. To make things worse, Aston Villa have a poor record at Stamford Bridge, as they have won none and lost six of their last eight games at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea Team News :
As for the team news ahead of the clash, Chelsea will have to make a forced change in defence as Branislav Ivanovic is out suspended. He has accumulated five yellow cards and has to serve a one match suspension.
Brazilian centre-half Alex is still missing as he nurses a knee complaint, while Yuri Zhirkov (calf) and Yossi Benayoun (Achilles) are also sidelined.
Aston Villa Team News :
Meanwhile, Villa are confident Ashley Young will shake off a knee injury in time to start this fixture. He has missed their last two games so his presence will be greatly welcomes here.
Emile Heskey is another who could come into contention after recovering from a twisted ankle, but Luke Young is still outwith hip and groin problems.
The Betting Verdict :
Take Chelsea to win and give the 1 3/4 ball here.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take Chelsea to win here.
Gooner’s Statistical Value Bet
Take Chelsea and give the 1 3/4 ball.
