Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1 - Post analysis

Oct 19 2009 by Lisa Smith, Birmingham Post

ASTON VILLA…2 CHELSEA…1

Villa have got some way to go yet but they are fast earning themselves the title of the gatecrashers and the top-flight party poopers of the season.

Just a few weeks after they threw a huge curveball at Rafa Benitez’s title aspirations by beating his Liverpool side at Anfield, Martin O’Neill’s boys were taking a point from Mark Hughes’ heavily financed Manchester City.

Fast forward another couple of weeks and this time it was Barclay’s Premier League leaders Chelsea who saw their big chance to get an early march on their rivals due to the early kick-off time blown to smithereens.

There may be a script as to the protocol when playing the top four sides but Martin O’Neill’s side clearly hadn’t read it as they clinched another three valuable points thanks to goals from defenders Richard Dunne and James Collins to wipe out an earlier Didier Drogba strike.

Villa have now lost just twice all season in the league and are showing real class against quality opposition – a fact not wasted on Martin O’Neill who believes whoever gets ahead of Chelsea in the title race this season will clinch the title.

“It is early to make predictions, “ he said. “But any team that finishes in front of Chelsea will win the Championship.

“But I am delighted with our performance and I thought we played brilliantly in the first half and overall we were splendid.”

It had all started so differently for Villa with the game itself delayed by five minutes when referee Steve Bennet pulled out through illness to be replaced by the fourth official Kevin Friend.

And within five minutes of the game getting under way he was making enemies when he refused to give what looked like a credible penalty shout after Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa brought down Gabriel Agbonalhor.

The Villa striker, with five goals already this season, was through on goal when he was hacked down – his manager later claiming the perpetrator should also have been sent off.

Villa were then given another massive confidence blow minutes later when Didier Drogba, against the run of play, found himself with the room to turn and shoot from some 30 yards out.

Brad Friedel in the Villa goal looked to have it covered but the ball bobbled cruelly and the keeper allowed it to pass over his hands. Villa fans were furious.

But this is a different side from the one of a couple of seasons ago and the one who would hang its head at times of adversity.

The new look Villa battled back into the game with James Milner and Ashley Young creating problems time and again from the flanks. Had John Carew managed to bring down a shot with his right foot they might have been back in it far earlier and had the post not denied England versatility star Milner, Villa would have been back in the game far sooner than Richard Dunne’s strike just after the half hour.

Villa are becoming something of masters at set-pieces and when Ashley Young swung a corner in there was Dunne ready and waiting although even he could not have anticipated a handy flick-on from Frank Lampard.

The second half saw Villa come out fighting again and they were deservedly ahead on 52 minutes when another of their centre-backs, James Collins, again showed the strikers how to do it.

Even he could not believe the space he was given for a free header from another of those trademark Young corners, slamming the ball home for his debut goal and his first for three years.

Chelsea tried to get back into the game and had their chances through Florent Malouda and Deco but Friedel was not about to make the same mistake again.

In the end the home side simply had to play down the clock – the jubilant scenes at the final whistle with the Villa fans suggesting that while gatecrashers are not normally popular, in these parts they most certainly are.

Scorers: Drogba (16) 0-1, Dunne (32) 1-1, Collins (52) 2-1.

VILLA (4-4-2): Friedel, Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Milner, Petrov, Sidwell, Young, Carew (Heskey, 81), Agbonlahor. Substitutes: Guzan, Delph, Reo-Coker, Shorey, Beye, Gardner.

CHELSEA (4-4-2): Cech, Bosingwa (Ivanovic, 69), Carvalho, Terry, A Cole, Essien, Deco, Lampard, Malouda (J Cole,84) Anelka, Drogba. Substitutes: Hilario, Zhirkov, S.Kalou, Sturridge, Belletti.

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)

Bookings: Villa – Agbonlahor (foul); A Cole (foul)

Attendance: 39,047.

Villa man-of-the-match: James Collins – a debut goal and another solid defensive display from the surprise signing of the season.