Key events
It is also without goals in tottenham v Fulham.
Manchester United … 0
Everton… 0
(last result)
25 minutes: Scenes. Chelsea line up the free kick from around 10 yards. The cottages, of course, are lined up, located on the goal line. Fernandez touches the ball to Palmer, who directs a shot straight at Martinez. Lavia has a follow up effort which is also blocked. Villa got away!
23 minutes: Drama! Palmer cups Tielemans on the edge of the Villa box. He turns and delivers a powerful shot that goes into the bottom corner. Martinez saves and then the referee says it’s a back pass by Pau Torres after a save by the keeper! Free kick for Chelsea close to a penalty! Literally right in front of the six yard box!
21 minutes: Sancho threatened again from the left for Chelsea. Lavia with smartball behind. But Villa manages to hide.
18 minutes: The start at the Bridge was lively, with the proviso that Chelsea showed zero interest in pressing the ball in the opening moments. The Aston Villa defenders just stood there wondering what to do with the ball. I wonder if Maresca told them to do this? Maybe a chance for a nice little break before getting into the game properly?
“Luca, morning greetings from the California Free State,” writes Mary Walz. “Looking at Everton’s games in December, this might be the only chance for Everton to collect points. That speaks volumes for both teams. Sigh.
I’m still laughing at Ruben Amorim’s thoughts on what to expect from Everton, which he gave on Friday:
“It will be a different game, with a lot of fight, a lot of long balls, second balls … a quality coach who understands the league.”
Oh yes, quality coaching, but terrible football, you see. I like the cut of the Amorim arrow.
15 minutes: Villa are moving forward again and Watkins is one on one! Although from an angle. His teammate Rodgers is in the middle, praying for a pass. But Watkins shot and Sanchez saved.
13 minutes: Funny emails asidefootball happens at Stamford Bridge. A breakthrough by Villa and Tielemans sniffed a goal from inside the penalty area. but Chelsea they close it and then crash at high speed and almost create their own choke, down the other end.
This is kind of a Sunday football emailby Richard Hirst, who I can really get behind:
“A lot of discussion about how Spursy it would be for them to lose today. Well, there are two teams involved and Fulham the equivalent of Spursy is Fulhamish. Considering we lost 4-1 at home to a team in the relegation zone last weekend, it would be a lot for Fulham to win today. But if Fulham/Spurs is about Fulham winning, then that’s the expectation. So, actually, the real thing for Fulham/Spurs would be for Spurs to win. Is it clear so far?
“And now, having lied to Spurs and said they were going to win, Fulham are going to win. “
Villa players protested that Philogenes had been fouled by Cucurella, but their protests were utterly useless.
No goal at Old Trafford and Tottenham.
Kukurella does well when taking the ball away from Filogen with Chelsea players in advanced areas after a set piece. He exchanges passes with Sancho and plays a low ball into the middle that takes a defender’s shot. Jackson finishes well at the near post. And it’s 1-0.
Goal! 7 min: Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa (Jackson)
It’s inside.
6 minutes: Morgan Rodgers tries to make a break in midfield, down the middle, and appears to be fouled from behind. But the referee let the game continue and Chelsea can clear.
Bill Leslie and Alan Smith are with us again on communications. Sancho intervenes from Chelsea left and ties to Palmer. A quiet start so far overall.
This is interesting: Chelsea they show no interest in the press from the first doors.
David Jones has been appointed as the lead commentator. That’s a big one.
Sky Sports is having sound problems so the presenter and experts commentate for the moment.
I had some issues with the squad news and said Bailey was starting for Villa, which was wrong. apologies
Start of the first half!
There it is.
Maresca made 10 changes from the midweek win at Heidenheim. Jaden Sancho is the player who keeps his place in the squad.
How big are the three points against Aston Villathey ask Enzo Maresca. (I live for these things.)
“It’s a big game,” says Maresca. “It will be a tough game like the others. We are not focused on the top four. We are only focused on the game.”
Is it a formation change? “It could be. We’ll see.”
Great, thanks for that. And why does it start with Jaden Sancho?
“Jaden Sancho is doing well… he was very good in the Conference League. I said many times. It is very important to us and we hope it can help us.
Second comment to this: “What a team. I love football hehe.”
Don’t we all mate?
The game is live of a famous sports broadcaster is Chelsea v Aston Villa. I have to say that after Tottenham v Roma on Thursday, the most entertaining game I’ve watched in ages, I’d rather watch Spurs v Fulham.
But as a wise man once said, “It is what it is.”
I could have sworn Micah Richards simply referred to fellow pundit Daniel Sturridge as ‘Dave’. Everything heated up in the studio for a second.
Tottenham v Fulham teams
Tottenham Hotspur: Forster, Porro, Draguzin, Davies, Udogi, Sarr, Bissuma, Maddison, Johnson, Son, Werner. Substitutes: Austin, Regillon, Gray, Bergvall, Kulusewski, Spence, Lancashire, Olusezi, Williams-Barnett.
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson, Berge, Lukic, Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Jimenez. Substitutes: Benda, Wilson, Rodrigo Muniz, Cairney, Traore, Castan, King, Sessegnon, Amisa.
Referee: Darren Bond
Manchester United vs Everton Teams
Manchester United: Onana, Mazraoui, de Ligt, Martinez, Diallo, Casemiro, Mainoo, Dalot, Fernandes, Rashford, Zirkzee. Substitutes: Bayindir, Maguire, Mount, Hoylund, Malacia, Garnacho, Antony, Shaw, Ugarte.
Everton: Pickford, Young, Tarkovsky, Branthwaite, Mikolenko, Ducour, Gueye, Lindstrom, McNeil, Ndiaye, Beto. Substitutes: Virginia, Begovich, Patterson, Mangala, Calvert-Lewin, Harrison, O’Brien, Coleman, Armstrong.
Referee: John Brooks
Chelsea vs Aston Villa teams
Chelsea: Sanchez, Caicedo, Fofana, Colville, Cucurella, Lavia, Fernandez, Sancho, Palmer, Pedro Neto, Jackson. Substitutes: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Mudric, Madueke, Joao Felix, Nkunku, Gusto, Veiga.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konza, Torres, Digne, Camara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rodgers, Filogen-Bidache, Watkins. Substitutes: Olsen, Diego Carlos, Mings, Barkley, Duran, Buendia, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey.
Referee: Stewart Atwell
Preamble
Lucky you, lucky you. There’s still a lot of football today, and a lot of it. As for His Majesty’s Premier League, kicking off at 1.30pm we have Chelsea v Aston Villa, Tottenham v Fulham and Manchester United against Everton.
And it’s all LIVE right here, via frantically written and sarcastic text updates on the targets as they fly in. Or when they don’t come in, as the case may be.
Tie up too “>send me an email with your football related thoughts, stories and funny banter.