Villa Beat Chelsea 2-0

WOW

Heroic performance, don't care about the possession that the London play boys had, they were shut out where it mattered and only managed two shots on target the whole game.

I thought there were some very special performances today, not least by the Villa crowd who were awesome throughout and mostly forgot about that local team just up the road instead supporting the mighty claret and blue vocally all game. Even the commentator said how fantastic this old stadium of ours is when it is full (not sold out though which is mystifying) and rocking with noise.

I must be allergic to Chelsea, this is the third game in as many years I've missed due to ill health and I virtually never miss a game. Totally gutted not to have been amongst the noise today but I still kicked every ball and sung every song from my sofa!

What more do you have to say? Some truly outstanding performances, an attacking formation from the start and with Nigel Hokey Cokey and Gareth Barry in the centre of midfield, with Stiliyan Petrov confined to the bench, we looked far more solid. Ashley Young on the left and Gabby on the right worked out well and Luke Moore quite rightly got the start he deserved. All this and we still have seen very little from big John Carew, once he starts to get rocking as well, this team could be very dangerous indeed. As Big Dion Dublin, a guest of Sky today said, JC plays too deep and doesn't terrorise defenders the way the old fashioned centre forwards like him, Shearer, Ferguson and Sutton used to. Maybe one for Carew to note? That said, John Terry really should be buying Carew some flowers or chocolates as he obviously took quite a shine to the striker the amount of times he tried to take his top off.

Chelsea, before today, had only lost 1 game in 32. ONE in 32.

The confidence this win will give our young players will be a major shot in the arm, now we can look forward to playing the likes of Manchester City, Everton, Spurs and West Ham without a shadow of doubt that we can beat them.

Ok, this was just one game, so was the Fulham match before it, but these games are what last season we were drawing, we weren't that far off Europe if not for the draws last year, so this year - as long as injuries are kind to us (as we still do have far too small a squad - as we all know!) - we could push on and then attract even higher quality to Villa Park next summer (noooooo, don't start talking about another transfer window I hear you cry!)

Today is simply for enjoying and savouring. Villa showed battle, bottle and some class today, something we haven't seen at Villa Park for many a long season. Could we just be starting to believe?

Match stats: Click Here

And yes, I know I might be getting a bit carried away with the ratings!

The Villa crowd, immense noise and vocal support for the team.
Barely had to do anything, but should be England No1, far better than Fatty Robinson at can't hold on to a lead Spurs.
Solid.
Solid but not pleased about the lack of a beard! What right-back problem! ;-p
World class, got beaten a couple of times by the pace of Wright-Phillips but who wouldn't be? First to every header and tackle. Solid, what a debut, what a goal, bet he won't come down from cloud nine for weeks, mind you, at 6'5' maybe he always has his head in the clouds. So close to scoring in the first half with a lovely turn and volley and lovely goal in the second half. Looked better on the wing today than he did last season. Given the choice between him and SWP, I'd take Young. That said, given the choice, I'd take both! A real captains performance, think some people miss the quality of his passing, was involved everywhere it mattered. hard in the tackles, up and down the pitch, leading by example and vocally. Top signing who will only get better with time.
Deserved to start and got well stuck in.
Really not threatening and although John Terry wanted his shirt all afternoon, he is big enough and strong enough to shrug him off. Needs to play higher up the pitch to get some chances. Needs a goal anyway he can get one to boost the confidence and hopefully set him off. I don't think he has a Prem goal yet does he? It'll come. nearly cost a goal giving the ball away but not on long enough to really rate, did try to get forward. Doug Ellis 10. Played a blinder. Roman Abramovich stormed off before the final whistle like a sulky toddler, who was there to greet him as he stropped off? Doug with a big smile on his face, sticking his hand out to shake Romans. If only at the last minute he'd pulled his hand away it would have been a great moment!!! Martin O'Neill. Taken the moans and knocks about the transfer window and rammed the words back down fans throats, which is exactly what every fan wanted him to do. Great attacking formation, long may it last. Maybe in January he'll get the right-back he wants and hopefully we'll attract a top class striker, then we really could be in business. Oh, and great to see the long ball tactics consigned to the dustbin. Jose Mourinho. Used to really like this bloke but once again after the game he proved himself without any class or sportsmanship just moaning that they deserved something out of the game. Tough luck Mourwhingio. Nice suit though!

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