Stamford Bridge, Sun 02 Jan @ 13:30 local time.
Preview and team news:
-Chelsea
●The Blues had gone six Premier League games without a win before edging past Bolton 1-0 on Wednesday night.Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping that confidence has been restored to his under-performing squad who have moved up both form and points wise after a rather nervy end of the year.Kicking on over the second half of the campaign will require Chelsea to recapture their early season form, when they plundered 27 goals in their opening 10 games.
●Chelsea will be forced to shuffle their defensive pack for their first fixture of 2011 as Branislav Ivanovic will be suspended.
The versatile Serbian has accumulated five yellow cards so far this season and must serve a one-match ban as result.
Brazilian centre-half Alex is still missing as he nurses a knee complaint, while Yuri Zhirkov (calf) and Yossi Benayoun (Achilles) are also sidelined.
-Villa
●Villa, though, head to the capital on the back of a sorry run which has dropped them into relegation trouble. Five defeats in six have left Gerard Houllier's men precariously perched just a point above the drop zone and facing up to a basement battle. Worryingly for their French coach, the Villans have seen the goals dry up of late, with the target found just once in their last five away games.They will also arrive in West London on Sunday knowing that they have won none and lost six of their last eight games at Stamford Bridge.
●Villa are confident Ashley Young will shake off a knee injury in time to face the Blues.
The England winger has missed the club's last two fixtures and his return to the fold will be welcomed by Houllier.
Emile Heskey is another who could come into contention at the weekend, after shaking off a twisted ankle, but Luke Young is still struggling with hip and groin problems.
-Head to Head
Chelsea---------------------Villa
19------------Played----------19
34------------Points-----------20
10---------------Won-----------5
4--------------Drawn-----------5
5---------------Lost------------9
33------------Scored----------20
15------------Conceded------34
4---------League Position----15
Chelsea--------------------Villa--
LDDDLW--------Form------ LLLWLL
●Recent Meetings:
Aston Villa have won none and lost six of their last eight Premier League visits to Stamford Bridge.
-Match Facts
~Frank Lampard has scored nine goals against Villa, more than against any other opponent in the Premier League.
~Aston Villa have lost five of their last six Premier League games.
~No side has conceded more goals to set pieces in the Premier League this season than Villa (13).
~Only in 1994/95 (16) did Aston Villa have fewer points after 19 Premier League games than this campaign (20).
~This is Chelsea’s lowest points tally after 19 Premier League games since 2001/02 (30 points)
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~The Villans have hit just one goal in their last five league away games.
~A 1-0 win over Bolton in their last match ended a run of six without a win for the Blues in the Premier League.
~After scoring 27 goals in their opening 10 Premier League games this season, Chelsea have hit just six in the nine since.
~The Blues have not scored more than once in a Premier League game since October.
My Team
-----------------------Cech---------------------------
Bosingwa-----Bruma---------Terry------Cole--
|--------------------Ramirez----------------------\--
|------------Essien-----------Lampard----------|---
-\->---Anelka------------------------Malouda-|---
-----------\-----------Drogba-------------/--<-/---
Villa Team:
Friedel, Guzan, Cuellar, Warnock, Collins, Dunne, Lichaj, Albrighton, Reo-Coker, Bannan, Petrov, Hogg, Downing, Albrighton, A. Young, Heskey, Albrighton, Delfouneso, L. Young, Ireland, Carew, Beye.
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