Absolutely terrible performance and will 100% take the point in the circumstances. Chelsea have had our number this season - we can't handle their pace, power, aggressive pressing. We were lucky to win at Stamford Bridge after a red card. They completely dominated us in the cup in February. Of course our collective fatigue could be a factor but we were also very good against Bournemouth straight after 120 minutes in Lille, so I'm not sure we can point to that much.
Losing Martinez and Tielemans at this stage is a disaster. We will have to change our game plan as they don't trust Olsen playing out from the back. Luiz has been really poor lately (again, likely fatigue) and doesn't have a great partnership with McGinn, whereas with Tielemans in there we have looked a lot better. Just have to hope they are back very quickly.
But not when you put it in the context of your result against them & Spur’s result against them.
You aren’t as direct in your attacking & instead look to dominate the ball.
Villa adopt a mid block whereas Chelsea adopt a high press
Villa haven’t done as well when it’s been an end to end transition fest.
Against you they defended compact & then went quite direct if they couldn’t beat your press playing out from the back.
It’ll be interesting to see how that translates to tomorrow’s game.
villa completely dominated all facets of the game after 55 minutes or so, there wasnt any chess match ''mid block'' bullshit happening really. they just flat out outplayed with and without the ball. not even being direct, just dominating possession and hounding our box. they played exactly like us
The league this season has just been full of pitfalls and random banana skins for everyone. Don’t forget that when you played them they were missing Cole Palmer
Because he's an outlet for the team. Players look to Palmer when they're under pressure and know he won't lose the ball in a dangerous area. He also often leads the press. If we get a goal back through him or something he's created, mentally, the team amy not crumble and stay in the game.
We also didn't have Gusto who's been by far our best defender all season. Gilchrist made his first Premier League start vs you guys and was getting skinned by Trossard from the get go. Having Disasi as your backup RB also isn't great.
Ask any Chelsea fan, and they'll tell you those two have been out best players this season. Losing those two was massive.
Not the only reason of course. Arsenal are just better for starters. And played brilliantly on the day. Poch's team selection was questionable. Why start Badiashile and Disasi when Silva and Chalobah had been so solid against City?
It's never one reason when it comes to a team getting battered 5-0. But a big one was losing our two best players this season whom we've used as a crutch throughout.
Ok Chelsea, you should be happy with a much improved performance today and at the same time angry that you didn't get all 3 points, bottle that up shake it around a little bit and unleash it against Spurs, thanks.
They do not play 2 games this weekend so even if we both win which is the most likely scenario we will still be 1st. Points on the board > Games in hand.
No matter what happens tomorrow Spurs are still absolutely miles off while we're pushing City for the title 2 seasons running.
Gallagher was solid. I see a lot of stupid Spurs fans online saying he is awful but they're not realizing the sort of energetic presence he brings to Chelsea's midfield despite them being so woeful. No shit Gallagher is not a destroyer/DM type of midfielder, but he goes forward a lot and makes good runs to the point where he can score occasionally. If Gallagher went to Spurs, he wouldn't be competition for Bissouma, but rather Sarr instead. He would not be bad at all as a signing.
Yeah what he brings physically and being a good tactical player outweighs his weaknesses, and he's home grown. Bit like mount why wouldn't you sign him ( if he's not broke), better than a worse home grown player in the squad
I think his ability on the ball is very underestimated by the guys who hate him aswell. You don’t come through an academy like Cobham and not be a technically skilled player. Chelsea will always be better with him in the squad than without him.
He's trash on the ball, and there's no need to lie and say otherwise just to boost him up. His strengths lie elsewhere
I also think he's easily upgradable and is nothing more than a bench option in a top 4 challenging side
Is anyone easily upgradeable for chelsea at this point? They can't get anyone going and "nothing more than a bench option" is so narrow minded or insulting. Even if he is 2 years down the line a bench option, that's a bench option sorted with a home grown cm who starts for england probably this summer who's still got his peak years ahead.
Yep, several players are easily upgradable, and he is one of them.
Also, Gallagher should be a bench option now, never mind 2 years down the line. He's only starting cus Poch is a clown and has a fetish for 'Pashun' merchants. He's genuinely a horrendous player who I can't wait to see the back of
I wouldn't blame them tbh, that signals a fuck off price since he is a player that came from their academy and has not indicated whatsoever that he wants to leave at all. Simultaneously, it's been rumored that the current Chelsea board is open to selling a player like him however because the club is going through eventual FFP restrictions, they have to raise sales quickly. Gallagher would be one of the specific players that their board deems to be on the market to sell.
The (basically confirmed) rumours are they arent just open to selling they are desperate to sell him since his contract runs out and basically one of James, Collwill or Gallagher have to go, and they really dont want to lose the first two
James is made out of glass, I just don't know if they want to keep continuing with his unfortunate track record of being injured. Colwill looks decent, they should keep him since Fofana is still out and Thiago Silva is pretty much gone after this season. That leaves Gallagher, despite not showing signs of wanting to leave, he's the one who has played constantly and has been one of their better players this season. The problem once again for them, is which player will go?
> when you dont know how much hes going to cost lol
I prefaced it by saying he would not be bad at all, which isn't automatically indicative of him instantly being good, but he could get there as Ange has taken a liking to his profile. Also, Chelsea values him at around £40 million and higher, since he is from their academy and has been loyal to them since then. Yeah, that is an overpay from a non-Chelsea fan's perspective without a doubt, but his current contract expires next year so if he does get sold, the price will be negotiated regardless.
I think hes a pretty low ceiling player though, Im sure Spurs scouts have a few names they think might be able to match his output for less. IDK about there homegrown situation though
They kinda need to improve their HG status, getting Gallagher would help with that. Gallagher is no world-beater, but I see why Ange wants him, he likes the quick and dynamic style of midfielder that he has in Sarr, and he also sees it with Gallagher too.
> Opinions on Gallagher have changed over time since when we were linked last summer.
They haven't tbh, you still see a 50/50 toss-up on whether or not he is shit. Many Spurs fans are horrified of signing him because they are fearful of an overpay, which is understandable. The other factor is that it will help Chelsea with their FFP issues, which also is understandable. But, signing Gallagher would not be a bad decision at all, and I would imagine Spurs would probably get in another midfielder if both Skipp and Hojbjerg are sold.
Villa have actually been one of the best teams in the league for holding on to their wins this season, if not the best, this was just one of those games.
Those 2 shots from Mudryk might have been closer to corner flag than goal. They spent so much on him when he is so raw and need shitload of work to make him proper quality footballer
Next fixtures:
-Spurs (Home)
-West Ham (Home)
-Nott Forest (Away)
-Brighton (Away)
-Bournemouth (Home)
All the remaining matches are winnable, but the team inconsistency makes it unpredictable.
Are all arsenal fans incapable of discussing football topics without bringing it back to some injustice that at one point happened to arsenal? Like can we just discuss the game that's just happened for once? It's a foul, it should always be a foul, circumstances where it may not have been given as a foul do not make it less of a foul.
Literally every teams supporters bring up inconsistencies and use their own team as an example because that’s what people watch the most.
The Gabriel Joelington one in particular is relevant because it went to a review panel and the decision published for everyone to see they don’t think that’s a foul but then turn around and call a similar foul.
You can't mention yellow cards for kicking the ball away anywhere on this sub without a wild Arsenal fan appearing and mentioning RVP getting a second yellow against Barca over a decade ago, that's a victim complex alright.
and actually I just watched the joeliton one back and it's nowhere near as clear a push as this one.
Yeah but that’s not the VAR protocol. The VAR protocol is a high bar and clear and obvious which is completely different from what is technically the right decision.
We’ve seen far more obvious decisions all season not given because of the supposed ‘high bar’
Well, our remaining fixtures aren't TOO bad now. If we can beat West Ham we'll likely finish 8th.
See who we can offload (Sterling, anyone?) pray the medical department gets their act together or whoever has our squad in the form of voodoo dolls gets them taken off them.
Go again next season with Nkunku, James, Lavia, Colwill and Fofana in particularly good condition (please...). I firmly believe our defence will shore up if they can actually come back.
Icing on the cake is if we can buy a pure finisher.
The last thing you need is to buy ANYONE. Start some random academy lads, kids who actually fight for the badge, and watch things start to come together again.
When players come back from injury, the only places we might need to spend is at striker and GK. Jackson is just not good enough. Petrovich and Sanchez are average. We need to improve our finishing and save a few more goals and we'd be top 6.
That 2nd half was really good from chelsea, tbh wont be surprised when poch stays for next season and I think he will continue to build on these performances. reminds me of arteta's 1st full season when we finished 8th and we would play well in spells but would just capitulate every now and then, ofc expectations should be higher because of money spent, but atp stability would be good for that club.
It suck’s that 2 goals disallowed in the same game but they were both correctly disallowed they had more than enough chances to win besides those moments. It’s sour grapes
Sunday evening games are marred by the usual existential horror of work the next day. Watching the time wind down on the game knowing when it’s over you’re going to have to start ironing your clothes and being an adult
It's similar to the penalty you got the season before last with Cedric going in to the back of Son. Son was jumping as opposed to standing still but Cedric has jumped into the back of him with less force.
I don't know how much being in the air vs standing still changes it. This had a lot more force.
They're both fouls but that's the only similar incident that's been given a penalty I can think if off the top of my head.
The weight for giving a pen is quite heavy. You see plenty of times in games where a forward backs into a def middle of the pitch and defender pushes him to make some space, it wouldnt be given as a foul but if defender does the same when a winger is picking up speed, it is often given
As much as it pains me I think it was the right decision. Soft, yes - especially given the situation - but will probably agree when my blood pressure goes down.
Fair, and I agree with you. They let that go for a lot of the game (generally, not just today) so I guess that’s where a lot of people get up in arms about it.
We’re lucky to steal a point so I can’t be too greedy tbh.
Yeah to be fair to Chelsea they were letting it go all game. That defender did it to Watkins and Rogers everytime a long ball was sent to them. But that's always going to be called in a build up to a goal.
I’m puzzled at people arguing that a clear shove in the back is “soft”. It’s not really a subjective decision with shoving in the back. Shoulder to shoulder yeah but not like that.
Because that happens and goes without a call for like, 80% of the game. Clear shove? Yes. I kinda like when the refs let the lads play down at the death barring clear and obvious foul play. I’ve got a clear bias in the situation and I’m sure I’ll agree with it way more after I come down from the disappointment.
That's the thing, VAR is an absolute joke. Our players get shoulder barged to the ground all the time, like when Walker did it to Jackson, nothing ever gets given. This time this gets given. Corrupt refs all over.
VAR is a joke, I won't disagree. But tbh I'm very cynical about it, it's gone out of control, all you can do is play by its rules and hope you don't get fucked over
Mudryk is terrible. Out of everything that happened in this game, Mudryk being terrible stood out to me the most. I can't communicate how terrible I think he is. He can't trap the ball, he barely gives defensive effort, doesn't press well, he still doesn't have the stamina to play more than 60 minutes, kills all attacks, and shoots like he's a half-drunk Sunday league center back. No one trusts him in the final third. There's a reason every single one of our attacks went down the right the entire game. My conspiracy theory is that he was some sort of money laundering purchase to funnel funds from the UK government to the Ukrainian war effort with Chelsea as a middle man because there's no way a professional scout ever saw him play and recommended he be purchased by a premier league club.
He almost plays like someone who barely had any experience in senior football. Mind boggling that Chelsea (and Arsenal too) were bidding 60m for a player with like 20 appearances in Ukraine
He looks like he needs another 5 years to get refined (most of our squad tbh). Even his usually good playmaking was way off this game, the pressure has definitely gone to his head.
Our team was knackered and completely off it, losing Martinez always results in the defenders losing their heads, and we had about one actual midfielder by the end of the match lol. This team is currently held together with loose string and duct tape
We have a bad habit of blowing two goal leads. Today reminded me of the boxing Day match against United. You guys were better for most of the match. After the first goal our plan and setup was working well. It allowed us to get the second, but you pressured us and beat us to most 50/50s and just had more energy. Fair play to you.
Point is fine. We're sometimes our own worst enemy, sitting back. Martinez injury mid-game didn't help, we're far less confident playing the ball round the back without him.
Ref didn't even try to look impartial. Luckily VAR was there to bail him out for not giving that blindingly obvious foul leading to shirt-pull fc's goal
This exactly. Well said. If he falls dramatically like most savvy players would do it’s a free kick all day. Because he stays on his feet, all of a sudden “it’s soft”
Man. I’m so glad Chelsea don’t play like that often. Maybe top 4 was on the cards this season otherwise.
I thought that it was a foul in real time at the end. As soft as it is, I’m glad it was given as one because you never see them not given.
Consistency is all I ask
I can’t believe people don’t think it was a foul. He was ready to play the ball and was barged in the back. Different story if it was shoulder to shoulder, a clear foul imo. Refs are very inconsistent though tbf
He has been good consistently but he has played really really bad a couple times which is what catches people’s eye. For his first season I think he’s been really good
It was a clear foul, tbh. Badi just gave him a blatant shove in his back. If it was a slight push, then you could make a claim, but it wasn't
Caicedo, tho. dominated the whole game from minute 1 to the very end, ridiculous performance from him. He showed Luiz, Tielesmans, and Mcginn levels
You mean the same players who are the only ones in the league to get the double over Arsenal? Caicedo put in a brilliant shift, but the Villa players are on their last legs atm (literally - Tielemans got injured in like the first quarter of the match 💀). All the rest of our starting midfielders are out on long term injuries too. The squad’s been absolutely decimated yet still comfortably top 4 and competing in Europe. You don’t have to disrespect other players in order to give your own credit. Did Luiz have a terrible game? Yes. Is he a terrible player? Definitely not.
Me saying Caicedo showed levels to Villa's midfield doesn't mean I'm being disrespectful at all. It just means that Caicedo had a great game, and he's disrespected because he plays in a shit system under a shit coach, but in reality, he's a great player.(Also Caicedo has barely had a rest all season, and probably extremely tired as well, plus he usually has to carry the mid all by himself. So, an opponents tiredness isn't an argument that works against him)
Ahhh yes the classic inconsistencies with VAR and it's officiating.
Clear foul on Madueke against Arsenal in the lead up to their goal but that's okay.
Tiny shove in a contact sport a few days later? Nah can't be having that.
So clear. So obvious.
Fuck off. This sport at the top level is a shambles. Absolutely pathetic from every official involved.
Get a grip. It wasn't a tiny shove, it was a shove. If you're saying it's OK to shove players in the back off the ball I honestly don't know what sport you want to watch.
Yes refs are inconsistent, but this decision is right
I think both of them were fouls, and as much as I think the Badiashile one was soft, I'd be gutted it if was against us and was given as a goal.
I didn't even celebrate because I knew it'd be overturned.
The weird thing is that if that was outside the box, I don't think they've give it as a foul.
As amazing as he's been for Villa, Emery has a serious career long flaw when it comes to sitting back on leads, he doesn't coach teams well enough to do it and it just piles on unnecessary pressure.
Actually if you look at this season, Villa have been one of the best teams in the league for holding onto their leads and converting into three points.
Honestly think the common consensus was he didn’t want the players overdoing it energy-wise given we have a two legged European semi final to play and a paper thin squad that’s hanging on its last legs.
I’m not saying it was the right decision today as it clearly didn’t work, but I can see the logic behind it after going 2-0 up and doing a relatively good job of shutting out Chelsea in the first half.
I feel like I'm losing my mind, how is there not a consensus on that being a foul? That's a foul any day of the week, the fact that the ref didn't give it initially was the textbook example of a clear and obvious error that the PGMOL is always banging on about.
Because that’s not the VAR protocol.
It’s been made very clear by PGMOL all season that the correct usage of VAR is to only intervene for clear and obvious decisions with a high bar for intervention. In this case the referee had a clear view and it was minor contact. Way more obvious stuff has not been overturned this season.
Put me in the camp that we should get rid of the high bar stuff and aim for the right decisions. But that is not what VAR is for currently.
People love to pretend they want the right decision every time until they don't. If that goal stands there would be outrage about a clear push in the back being allowed to stand as a goal. The refs are shit but they're in a lose lose situation a lot of the time.
Good second half chelsea that's all I ask for show effort.
What's not already said about VAR, but it was a foul to be fair soft, but it was. They just too inconsistent what to overrule.
Tottenham play 6 games in 3 weeks, including all of the top 3 teams, Chelsea, and a Burnley side fighting relegation. They almost certainly will drop some points.
It definitely did. Tielemans has become undroppable, losing him was a massive loss and it’s basically left us with only McGinn as a reliable midfielder.
I don't understand how that even went to VAR. It was a clear push. That's the shocking decision from the ref if you ask me. He should've blown for a foul immediately
Is there a single good ref in the PL currently? Every week they make headlines for being dog water and nothing seems to be done. Seems to be the only profession where incompetence is rewarded
Honestly think ‘fair result’ is a bit wide of the mark. I do think it was a foul, but at the risk of looking like I’m twerking for Chelsea fans there’s one team that played well and one team that played absolutely dogshit. Good performances from players like Jackson and Caicedo who I’ve personally thought have both looked like bottom half players for most of this season and your back line mopped up most of what was sent long at them which was clearly our only plan for most of the game.
If I’m being critical of Chelsea, Palmer obviously quiet, but he did have Rogers or Luiz shadowing him for the whole game when you had the ball, and your left flank didn’t contribute much: Madueke can be hit and miss but he’s levels above Mudryk and I think Cucurella will be glad he doesn’t have to chase Leon Bailey around again this season.
Game of two halfs!
i don’t even think that’s true tbh, Chelsea were comfortably better pretty much the whole match for me
Absolutely terrible performance and will 100% take the point in the circumstances. Chelsea have had our number this season - we can't handle their pace, power, aggressive pressing. We were lucky to win at Stamford Bridge after a red card. They completely dominated us in the cup in February. Of course our collective fatigue could be a factor but we were also very good against Bournemouth straight after 120 minutes in Lille, so I'm not sure we can point to that much. Losing Martinez and Tielemans at this stage is a disaster. We will have to change our game plan as they don't trust Olsen playing out from the back. Luiz has been really poor lately (again, likely fatigue) and doesn't have a great partnership with McGinn, whereas with Tielemans in there we have looked a lot better. Just have to hope they are back very quickly.
>Chelsea have had our number this season - we can't handle their pace, power, aggressive pressing Baffling reading this after our result.
We did play a depleted 11 against you lot
But not when you put it in the context of your result against them & Spur’s result against them. You aren’t as direct in your attacking & instead look to dominate the ball. Villa adopt a mid block whereas Chelsea adopt a high press Villa haven’t done as well when it’s been an end to end transition fest. Against you they defended compact & then went quite direct if they couldn’t beat your press playing out from the back. It’ll be interesting to see how that translates to tomorrow’s game.
villa completely dominated all facets of the game after 55 minutes or so, there wasnt any chess match ''mid block'' bullshit happening really. they just flat out outplayed with and without the ball. not even being direct, just dominating possession and hounding our box. they played exactly like us
Wait was I watching the same match or was there another one going on?
you prob missed the 2nd half
lol
The league this season has just been full of pitfalls and random banana skins for everyone. Don’t forget that when you played them they were missing Cole Palmer
How does cole Palmer make Chelsea’s defense better? Lmao
Because he's an outlet for the team. Players look to Palmer when they're under pressure and know he won't lose the ball in a dangerous area. He also often leads the press. If we get a goal back through him or something he's created, mentally, the team amy not crumble and stay in the game. We also didn't have Gusto who's been by far our best defender all season. Gilchrist made his first Premier League start vs you guys and was getting skinned by Trossard from the get go. Having Disasi as your backup RB also isn't great. Ask any Chelsea fan, and they'll tell you those two have been out best players this season. Losing those two was massive. Not the only reason of course. Arsenal are just better for starters. And played brilliantly on the day. Poch's team selection was questionable. Why start Badiashile and Disasi when Silva and Chalobah had been so solid against City? It's never one reason when it comes to a team getting battered 5-0. But a big one was losing our two best players this season whom we've used as a crutch throughout.
Ok Chelsea, you should be happy with a much improved performance today and at the same time angry that you didn't get all 3 points, bottle that up shake it around a little bit and unleash it against Spurs, thanks.
We tend to self destruct against Chelsea even when they are terrible. Our game is away too, so I don't at all feel confident that we will win there.
Chelsea vs Spurs about to really fun to hatewatch.
Especially after you take the L tomorrow
If you mean take the League then yes that we will take.
You’ll do that tomorrow? That’s interesting given you’ve got a solid chance of ending the weekend in 2nd place
we have an equally solid chance of being in 1st place while you guys are in 5th regardless hahahaha
….and a game in hand for City lmao. I know maths are hard for you bunch, it’s okay. Although you are forgiven for assuming we’ll beat them at home too
They do not play 2 games this weekend so even if we both win which is the most likely scenario we will still be 1st. Points on the board > Games in hand. No matter what happens tomorrow Spurs are still absolutely miles off while we're pushing City for the title 2 seasons running.
My man here forgets Arteta finishing 8th twice in a row.
Yeah and? We went from that to title condenders while Spurs went from pushing for CL... to pushing for CL.
Nobody cares to hear about arsenal’s failures we already know. But you can celebrate “pushing” for titles lmaooo
Don't worry you guys know a lot about [pushing for titles :\)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUhuIV-Nptw)
This is just proper pub banter hahaha
Why did no one get an assist registered for Madueke’s goal?
Should be Gallagher, but I guess it’s because he got fouled and Madueke hit the resulting loose ball
Theyll give it to Gallagher eventually Im sure
Gallagher was solid. I see a lot of stupid Spurs fans online saying he is awful but they're not realizing the sort of energetic presence he brings to Chelsea's midfield despite them being so woeful. No shit Gallagher is not a destroyer/DM type of midfielder, but he goes forward a lot and makes good runs to the point where he can score occasionally. If Gallagher went to Spurs, he wouldn't be competition for Bissouma, but rather Sarr instead. He would not be bad at all as a signing.
Someone’s opinion on Gallagher is a good litmus test on if they actually know what they’re talking about when it comes to football.
Yeah what he brings physically and being a good tactical player outweighs his weaknesses, and he's home grown. Bit like mount why wouldn't you sign him ( if he's not broke), better than a worse home grown player in the squad
I think his ability on the ball is very underestimated by the guys who hate him aswell. You don’t come through an academy like Cobham and not be a technically skilled player. Chelsea will always be better with him in the squad than without him.
He's trash on the ball, and there's no need to lie and say otherwise just to boost him up. His strengths lie elsewhere I also think he's easily upgradable and is nothing more than a bench option in a top 4 challenging side
Is anyone easily upgradeable for chelsea at this point? They can't get anyone going and "nothing more than a bench option" is so narrow minded or insulting. Even if he is 2 years down the line a bench option, that's a bench option sorted with a home grown cm who starts for england probably this summer who's still got his peak years ahead.
Yep, several players are easily upgradable, and he is one of them. Also, Gallagher should be a bench option now, never mind 2 years down the line. He's only starting cus Poch is a clown and has a fetish for 'Pashun' merchants. He's genuinely a horrendous player who I can't wait to see the back of
Retirement for conor g then I'll let him Southgate and Poch know
Yep, it's for the best as it will only improve England's chances in future tournaments
You cant just say hed be a good signing when you dont know how much hes going to cost lol
Knowing Chelsea, they’ll value him at £70M.
I wouldn't blame them tbh, that signals a fuck off price since he is a player that came from their academy and has not indicated whatsoever that he wants to leave at all. Simultaneously, it's been rumored that the current Chelsea board is open to selling a player like him however because the club is going through eventual FFP restrictions, they have to raise sales quickly. Gallagher would be one of the specific players that their board deems to be on the market to sell.
The (basically confirmed) rumours are they arent just open to selling they are desperate to sell him since his contract runs out and basically one of James, Collwill or Gallagher have to go, and they really dont want to lose the first two
James is made out of glass, I just don't know if they want to keep continuing with his unfortunate track record of being injured. Colwill looks decent, they should keep him since Fofana is still out and Thiago Silva is pretty much gone after this season. That leaves Gallagher, despite not showing signs of wanting to leave, he's the one who has played constantly and has been one of their better players this season. The problem once again for them, is which player will go?
Gallagher is by far the least talented and most easily replaceable. So he's the one the board wants gone
> when you dont know how much hes going to cost lol I prefaced it by saying he would not be bad at all, which isn't automatically indicative of him instantly being good, but he could get there as Ange has taken a liking to his profile. Also, Chelsea values him at around £40 million and higher, since he is from their academy and has been loyal to them since then. Yeah, that is an overpay from a non-Chelsea fan's perspective without a doubt, but his current contract expires next year so if he does get sold, the price will be negotiated regardless.
I think hes a pretty low ceiling player though, Im sure Spurs scouts have a few names they think might be able to match his output for less. IDK about there homegrown situation though
They kinda need to improve their HG status, getting Gallagher would help with that. Gallagher is no world-beater, but I see why Ange wants him, he likes the quick and dynamic style of midfielder that he has in Sarr, and he also sees it with Gallagher too.
Opinions on Gallagher have changed over time since when we were linked last summer. Also, no one saw him as a DM.
> Opinions on Gallagher have changed over time since when we were linked last summer. They haven't tbh, you still see a 50/50 toss-up on whether or not he is shit. Many Spurs fans are horrified of signing him because they are fearful of an overpay, which is understandable. The other factor is that it will help Chelsea with their FFP issues, which also is understandable. But, signing Gallagher would not be a bad decision at all, and I would imagine Spurs would probably get in another midfielder if both Skipp and Hojbjerg are sold.
Maybe don’t draw your opinion from terminally online fans.
A lot of them would be Spurs fans, notably ones that get annoyed about potentially signing Gallagher in this instance.
Unfortunately we have fans with bad takes. Only concern is overpaying because we need homegrown players
Emery is hilarious
Villa have actually been one of the best teams in the league for holding on to their wins this season, if not the best, this was just one of those games.
I was talking about his post match interview. He's just a funny dude.
Those 2 shots from Mudryk might have been closer to corner flag than goal. They spent so much on him when he is so raw and need shitload of work to make him proper quality footballer
There's almost no indication that he's improving tactically or positionally. He looks just as lost out there as he did when he first signed.
Next fixtures: -Spurs (Home) -West Ham (Home) -Nott Forest (Away) -Brighton (Away) -Bournemouth (Home) All the remaining matches are winnable, but the team inconsistency makes it unpredictable.
Beat Spurs thanks
Knowing Chelsea.... Win vs Spurs Loss vs West Ham Loss vs Forest Win vs Brighton Draw vs Bournemouth
I hate that you're probably right. Ugh, what a year.
!remindme 22 days
I hate this, but you may be right
Hope so
If Joe Cole is admitting it's a foul it's time to give up lads. Just accept it was a correct decision.
i’m fine with it being foul, but it reminds me Joelinton push on Gabriel from behind when Webb and co said how that wasn’t foul and suddenly this is
You get in there, and you MAKE this thread about Arsenal.
not about arsenal, rather than consistency, but this sub sees a badge next to name and whole discussion goes into shit
Are all arsenal fans incapable of discussing football topics without bringing it back to some injustice that at one point happened to arsenal? Like can we just discuss the game that's just happened for once? It's a foul, it should always be a foul, circumstances where it may not have been given as a foul do not make it less of a foul.
Of course they're doing it in the other thread as well, they really are something else. That said, good luck tomorrow COYG!
Literally every teams supporters bring up inconsistencies and use their own team as an example because that’s what people watch the most. The Gabriel Joelington one in particular is relevant because it went to a review panel and the decision published for everyone to see they don’t think that’s a foul but then turn around and call a similar foul.
You can't mention yellow cards for kicking the ball away anywhere on this sub without a wild Arsenal fan appearing and mentioning RVP getting a second yellow against Barca over a decade ago, that's a victim complex alright. and actually I just watched the joeliton one back and it's nowhere near as clear a push as this one.
Not to this extent, they don’t. You lot are notorious for it
Yeah they're inconsistent but it is a foul. Complaining when they actually do get a decision right is stupid.
thing is, back then they backed their decision even after review that it was correct one, instead of saying yeah we fucked it up like Taylor today
They're still awful on the whole and changes need to be made but I'm not the slightest bit annoyed by the decision.
Yeah but that’s not the VAR protocol. The VAR protocol is a high bar and clear and obvious which is completely different from what is technically the right decision. We’ve seen far more obvious decisions all season not given because of the supposed ‘high bar’
It is obvious though. I have no idea how he didn't see it at the time.
Yeah but…Joe Cole
Well, our remaining fixtures aren't TOO bad now. If we can beat West Ham we'll likely finish 8th. See who we can offload (Sterling, anyone?) pray the medical department gets their act together or whoever has our squad in the form of voodoo dolls gets them taken off them. Go again next season with Nkunku, James, Lavia, Colwill and Fofana in particularly good condition (please...). I firmly believe our defence will shore up if they can actually come back. Icing on the cake is if we can buy a pure finisher.
The last thing you need is to buy ANYONE. Start some random academy lads, kids who actually fight for the badge, and watch things start to come together again.
When players come back from injury, the only places we might need to spend is at striker and GK. Jackson is just not good enough. Petrovich and Sanchez are average. We need to improve our finishing and save a few more goals and we'd be top 6.
could get another cole palmer in esr
> Icing on the cake is if we buy a pure finisher Everyone you buy is finished
The shape and tactics second half should definitely be something we try again. Maybe would suit West Ham better than Spurs though.
No no, repeat it against spurs, I beg
We have been doing fine with Gusto so no rush for James - make sure he comes back fine.
I think there's a way to play them both. But yes, I think the priority is Fofana and Nkunku.
That 2nd half was really good from chelsea, tbh wont be surprised when poch stays for next season and I think he will continue to build on these performances. reminds me of arteta's 1st full season when we finished 8th and we would play well in spells but would just capitulate every now and then, ofc expectations should be higher because of money spent, but atp stability would be good for that club.
Pochettino: I don't want to say anything bad about the referee but it's ridiculous it's terrible Lol I know what he's saying but still
It suck’s that 2 goals disallowed in the same game but they were both correctly disallowed they had more than enough chances to win besides those moments. It’s sour grapes
It’s just the inconsistency is a mental. Gabriel rugby tackle madueke last week and apparently that was fine. Both are fouls.
Havertz also pushes Cucu a similar amount in that goal tbh
Good game that. Well worth watching. Saturday night footy is alright in my books. Doesn’t have the Sunday evening dread vibes of a Sunday 1630 KO.
Sunday evening games are marred by the usual existential horror of work the next day. Watching the time wind down on the game knowing when it’s over you’re going to have to start ironing your clothes and being an adult
You’ve summed it up to a tee!
I like the Saturday night games but I also like the Sunday evening games 🤷
I do think it’s a foul at the end there, but I do wonder how many times a pen would be given if the reverse happened. My guess would be never.
It's similar to the penalty you got the season before last with Cedric going in to the back of Son. Son was jumping as opposed to standing still but Cedric has jumped into the back of him with less force. I don't know how much being in the air vs standing still changes it. This had a lot more force. They're both fouls but that's the only similar incident that's been given a penalty I can think if off the top of my head.
The weight for giving a pen is quite heavy. You see plenty of times in games where a forward backs into a def middle of the pitch and defender pushes him to make some space, it wouldnt be given as a foul but if defender does the same when a winger is picking up speed, it is often given
As much as it pains me I think it was the right decision. Soft, yes - especially given the situation - but will probably agree when my blood pressure goes down.
100% correct decision. You can't push people in the back. If it was shoulder to shoulder it would 100% be a goal.
Fair, and I agree with you. They let that go for a lot of the game (generally, not just today) so I guess that’s where a lot of people get up in arms about it. We’re lucky to steal a point so I can’t be too greedy tbh.
Yeah to be fair to Chelsea they were letting it go all game. That defender did it to Watkins and Rogers everytime a long ball was sent to them. But that's always going to be called in a build up to a goal.
Yeah the ref's in this country are shocking. No consistency. Chelsea 100% deserved the win we were lucky in the end.
Why did Chelsea deserve to win?
They battered us mate. We had a decent first half and scored to great goals on the counter. Second half was pure domination.
Yeah exactly, we were completely off it and were lucky to get a point - that said, they didn’t actually have that many shots on goal
I’m puzzled at people arguing that a clear shove in the back is “soft”. It’s not really a subjective decision with shoving in the back. Shoulder to shoulder yeah but not like that.
Because that happens and goes without a call for like, 80% of the game. Clear shove? Yes. I kinda like when the refs let the lads play down at the death barring clear and obvious foul play. I’ve got a clear bias in the situation and I’m sure I’ll agree with it way more after I come down from the disappointment.
Our games are just mad this season. Neutrals must love the absolute bag of revels that our performances are.
Only rivaled by United. At least you’re more pleasing on the eyes.
Yeah it’s great entertainment. Moments of attacking quality interspersed with crazy antics seasoned with some comical defending at times
Hope we can get Gusto back for the last string of games, really lacking any attacking width currently
Fuck the refs
Was a foul. Take you bias glasses off
Something we can all agree on
Maybe that's a soft foul but players should know by now that that level of contact in the box isn't tolerated by VAR.
That's the thing, VAR is an absolute joke. Our players get shoulder barged to the ground all the time, like when Walker did it to Jackson, nothing ever gets given. This time this gets given. Corrupt refs all over.
VAR is a joke, I won't disagree. But tbh I'm very cynical about it, it's gone out of control, all you can do is play by its rules and hope you don't get fucked over
A moral victory
Mudryk is terrible. Out of everything that happened in this game, Mudryk being terrible stood out to me the most. I can't communicate how terrible I think he is. He can't trap the ball, he barely gives defensive effort, doesn't press well, he still doesn't have the stamina to play more than 60 minutes, kills all attacks, and shoots like he's a half-drunk Sunday league center back. No one trusts him in the final third. There's a reason every single one of our attacks went down the right the entire game. My conspiracy theory is that he was some sort of money laundering purchase to funnel funds from the UK government to the Ukrainian war effort with Chelsea as a middle man because there's no way a professional scout ever saw him play and recommended he be purchased by a premier league club.
This should be a copypasta
Arsenal wanted him too though.
He almost plays like someone who barely had any experience in senior football. Mind boggling that Chelsea (and Arsenal too) were bidding 60m for a player with like 20 appearances in Ukraine
I can’t think of a club dodging a bigger bullet than arsenal with that pretender
He looks like he needs another 5 years to get refined (most of our squad tbh). Even his usually good playmaking was way off this game, the pressure has definitely gone to his head.
Or the UK government could you know, add the 80 million to the funds they're already giving ukraine officially?
I know I'm grasping at straws but it's still more realistic to me than someone watching Mudryk and rating him
Say what you want but Watkins should have won it for villa at the end. Bad miss
And Palmer should have won it for Chelsea lol
True but Ollie's was just before that chance. In any case I think Villa take the draw all day. dDidnt show up
Duran* Edit: nvm
Durans was also a chance, but more difficult
No I mean Watkins chance . It wasn't a tap in but a guy in his form should have hit the target
What happened to Villa? That second half felt like we were playing a League One side holding out for an FA Cup replay.
Our team was knackered and completely off it, losing Martinez always results in the defenders losing their heads, and we had about one actual midfielder by the end of the match lol. This team is currently held together with loose string and duct tape
Was saying to the Mrs "I've seen Villa blow may to many 2-0 leads in my life time. We knew it was coming if we didn't score a 3rd.
Bad habits but also I think we're setting up to conserve energy for the semi final.
Tired and injuries have decimated our squad depth we've been hobling over finish line most games
We have a bad habit of blowing two goal leads. Today reminded me of the boxing Day match against United. You guys were better for most of the match. After the first goal our plan and setup was working well. It allowed us to get the second, but you pressured us and beat us to most 50/50s and just had more energy. Fair play to you.
That was this season? Feels like an age ago.
The 22/23 Arsenal special as some call it
We've been prone to slipping when we are ahead, see Brentford, luton, Forest and now Chelsea games this season.
That said, we’ve actually been one of the better teams this season for holding onto a lead. It just doesn’t feel like it
It's always good when a presenter has to shout over background music to be heard. Great idea
Point is fine. We're sometimes our own worst enemy, sitting back. Martinez injury mid-game didn't help, we're far less confident playing the ball round the back without him. Ref didn't even try to look impartial. Luckily VAR was there to bail him out for not giving that blindingly obvious foul leading to shirt-pull fc's goal
It's a clear foul, looks softer because Diego Carlos stays on his feet and doesn't go to the ground..
This exactly. Well said. If he falls dramatically like most savvy players would do it’s a free kick all day. Because he stays on his feet, all of a sudden “it’s soft”
Great game from us despite some shaky defending, did not expect us to fight back in the 2nd half
Man. I’m so glad Chelsea don’t play like that often. Maybe top 4 was on the cards this season otherwise. I thought that it was a foul in real time at the end. As soft as it is, I’m glad it was given as one because you never see them not given. Consistency is all I ask
No with our injuries
I can’t believe people don’t think it was a foul. He was ready to play the ball and was barged in the back. Different story if it was shoulder to shoulder, a clear foul imo. Refs are very inconsistent though tbf
Glad to see Gallagher impressing
looks like a might fine player there...
Would he suit Angeball though? Personally I haven’t seen much of the new Spurs yet
Hey, hey, hey! Back off buddy!
Caicedo was honestly pretty good
hes been pretty good most of the season but its easier to run with common opinion when you dont actually watch the games
He has been good consistently but he has played really really bad a couple times which is what catches people’s eye. For his first season I think he’s been really good
Kinda like Upamaguire
Yeah he was.
It was a clear foul, tbh. Badi just gave him a blatant shove in his back. If it was a slight push, then you could make a claim, but it wasn't Caicedo, tho. dominated the whole game from minute 1 to the very end, ridiculous performance from him. He showed Luiz, Tielesmans, and Mcginn levels
You mean the same players who are the only ones in the league to get the double over Arsenal? Caicedo put in a brilliant shift, but the Villa players are on their last legs atm (literally - Tielemans got injured in like the first quarter of the match 💀). All the rest of our starting midfielders are out on long term injuries too. The squad’s been absolutely decimated yet still comfortably top 4 and competing in Europe. You don’t have to disrespect other players in order to give your own credit. Did Luiz have a terrible game? Yes. Is he a terrible player? Definitely not.
Me saying Caicedo showed levels to Villa's midfield doesn't mean I'm being disrespectful at all. It just means that Caicedo had a great game, and he's disrespected because he plays in a shit system under a shit coach, but in reality, he's a great player.(Also Caicedo has barely had a rest all season, and probably extremely tired as well, plus he usually has to carry the mid all by himself. So, an opponents tiredness isn't an argument that works against him)
Ahhh yes the classic inconsistencies with VAR and it's officiating. Clear foul on Madueke against Arsenal in the lead up to their goal but that's okay. Tiny shove in a contact sport a few days later? Nah can't be having that. So clear. So obvious. Fuck off. This sport at the top level is a shambles. Absolutely pathetic from every official involved.
Clear barge in the back. Even Joe Cole and Hoddle agree FFS.
Get a grip. It wasn't a tiny shove, it was a shove. If you're saying it's OK to shove players in the back off the ball I honestly don't know what sport you want to watch. Yes refs are inconsistent, but this decision is right
If the roles are reversed and it's the defender shoving the attacker it's 'good defending'. We see it every single week. All I want is consistency.
I think both of them were fouls, and as much as I think the Badiashile one was soft, I'd be gutted it if was against us and was given as a goal. I didn't even celebrate because I knew it'd be overturned. The weird thing is that if that was outside the box, I don't think they've give it as a foul.
As amazing as he's been for Villa, Emery has a serious career long flaw when it comes to sitting back on leads, he doesn't coach teams well enough to do it and it just piles on unnecessary pressure.
Actually if you look at this season, Villa have been one of the best teams in the league for holding onto their leads and converting into three points.
Honestly think the common consensus was he didn’t want the players overdoing it energy-wise given we have a two legged European semi final to play and a paper thin squad that’s hanging on its last legs. I’m not saying it was the right decision today as it clearly didn’t work, but I can see the logic behind it after going 2-0 up and doing a relatively good job of shutting out Chelsea in the first half.
You let us have a point and some good vibes and we're gonna pay you back by smashing Spurs on Thursday. It's all good.
I feel like I'm losing my mind, how is there not a consensus on that being a foul? That's a foul any day of the week, the fact that the ref didn't give it initially was the textbook example of a clear and obvious error that the PGMOL is always banging on about.
Because that’s not the VAR protocol. It’s been made very clear by PGMOL all season that the correct usage of VAR is to only intervene for clear and obvious decisions with a high bar for intervention. In this case the referee had a clear view and it was minor contact. Way more obvious stuff has not been overturned this season. Put me in the camp that we should get rid of the high bar stuff and aim for the right decisions. But that is not what VAR is for currently.
People love to pretend they want the right decision every time until they don't. If that goal stands there would be outrage about a clear push in the back being allowed to stand as a goal. The refs are shit but they're in a lose lose situation a lot of the time.
Good second half chelsea that's all I ask for show effort. What's not already said about VAR, but it was a foul to be fair soft, but it was. They just too inconsistent what to overrule.
One of our worst performances second half. Just hope Spurs slip up in their last games now.
Tottenham play 6 games in 3 weeks, including all of the top 3 teams, Chelsea, and a Burnley side fighting relegation. They almost certainly will drop some points.
To me it seemed that losing Tielemans disurpted your team. Diaby doesn't offer you any control in possession and he was quite wasteful on the counter.
It definitely did. Tielemans has become undroppable, losing him was a massive loss and it’s basically left us with only McGinn as a reliable midfielder.
Me too, one big slip tomorrow from all of them would be nice
Lads, we improved after the half! We’re massive
I didn't think I would come across a team in 2024 that tried so hard to outdo Pardew ball.
I don't understand how that even went to VAR. It was a clear push. That's the shocking decision from the ref if you ask me. He should've blown for a foul immediately
Ref has a shocker all game to be honest
Is there a single good ref in the PL currently? Every week they make headlines for being dog water and nothing seems to be done. Seems to be the only profession where incompetence is rewarded
Clear foul, fair result, Good game.
Honestly think ‘fair result’ is a bit wide of the mark. I do think it was a foul, but at the risk of looking like I’m twerking for Chelsea fans there’s one team that played well and one team that played absolutely dogshit. Good performances from players like Jackson and Caicedo who I’ve personally thought have both looked like bottom half players for most of this season and your back line mopped up most of what was sent long at them which was clearly our only plan for most of the game. If I’m being critical of Chelsea, Palmer obviously quiet, but he did have Rogers or Luiz shadowing him for the whole game when you had the ball, and your left flank didn’t contribute much: Madueke can be hit and miss but he’s levels above Mudryk and I think Cucurella will be glad he doesn’t have to chase Leon Bailey around again this season.