THE 9-POINT GAP: UNEARTHING HOW A ASTON VILLA VICTORY COULD PERMANENTLY DERAIL CHELSEA’S TOP-FOUR HOPES
Champions League race: Read why Aston Villa vs Chelsea is a "must-win," the latest on Pedro Neto’s ban, and Emery’s injury news.
Unai Emery’s team wants to put some real distance between themselves and Chelsea in the Champions League race. Villa are hoping for a big win at home, especially since Chelsea haven’t exactly looked sharp lately; they’re trying to snap a three-game winless streak.
Villa sit fourth in the Premier League, level on points with Manchester United but just behind on goal difference. Their last match didn’t go the way they wanted. They lost 2-0 at Molineux, with Joao Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes both finding the net. They haven’t won there since December 2020, so that defeat stung – a wasted chance to get ahead of the other teams chasing a top-four spot.
Right now, Villa have only picked up one win from their last five league games. When Emery was asked if this match is a 'must-win', he kept it real: 'Our objective is to be in Europe, and we are in. Even if not in good form, we are in. And, of course, we are every day trying to recover our good form and our confidence, and tomorrow, Chelsea is our opponent, and of course, it’s a tough match.”
Villa have missed their captain, John McGinn, plus midfielders Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara. Still, they’ll want to make it three straight league wins over Chelsea. If they do, they’d open up a nine-point gap and make a real statement about sticking in the top four.
Chelsea, in sixth place, also lost their last match. Arsenal beat them, and most of the damage came from set pieces plus an own goal by Piero Hincapié. Chelsea couldn’t defend corners, and discipline is still a big issue. For the ninth time this season, they finished a game with fewer than 11 players. Pedro Neto got two yellows in just three minutes.
That’s two red cards in as many games. It’s hurting their chances and points to a real problem keeping cool when it matters. Liam Rosenior didn’t sugarcoat it before this match: “I need to see an improvement in the behaviour now; it’s not just Pedro [Neto]. We’ve had bookings for needless dissent and fouls. It needs to improve. My job is to create a culture of accountability where if you make a mistake, it’s ok, but you have to hold your hand up and not do it again.”
Wesley Fofana is back from suspension, but Pedro Neto is now out. Jamie Gittens is sidelined with a hamstring problem, Estêvão’s got a thigh injury, and Marc Cucurella probably won’t be ready in time to play at Villa Park.
Villa aren’t at full strength either. They’re still without McGinn and Tielemans, and Kamara probably won’t play again this season. Andrés García has a thigh strain, and Harvey Elliot just hasn’t been able to make an impact since joining due to injuries or whatever else; it just hasn’t clicked.
SUNDERLAND CONDEMNS "VILE" RACIST ABUSE AIMED AT BRIAN BROBBEY AFTER SPURS WIN
Brian Brobbey targeted online! Sunderland and the Premier League unite against "vile" discrimination after Spurs win.
Sunderland called out the racist abuse aimed at Brian Brobbey on social media and made it clear they stand fully behind him.
Brobbey was targeted online right after Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. On Monday, the club released a statement: “Sunderland condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist abuse directed at Brian Brobbey on social media following Sunday’s fixture against Tottenham. We stand firmly with Brian and offer him our full and unwavering support.”
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Sunderland players have had to deal with this kind of abuse this season. After February’s match against Fulham, Romaine Mundle received hateful messages online, and last month the Tyne-Wear derby had to be paused when someone in the crowd reportedly aimed abuse at Lutsharel Geertruida.
The club’s statement continued: “This isn’t an isolated event. The recent abuse aimed at Romaine Mundle and Lutsharel Geertruida shows just how often and how unacceptably this keeps happening, both at matches and on the internet. We’ve reported this latest incident to the Premier League, the social media platforms, and the police, and we expect them to act quickly against the people responsible. Racism is vile, and it doesn’t belong in football or anywhere else. We’ll keep calling it out, clearly and without hesitation, every time it happens. Football should be safe and welcoming for everyone, no exceptions.”
The Premier League is backing Brobbey as well. In a post on their X account, they said they’re “disgusted by the ongoing discrimination” players keep facing online. “We stand alongside Sunderland in strongly condemning the online racist abuse Brian Brobbey has received and have offered our full support to him and the club. We are disgusted by the ongoing discrimination players are facing on social media and are committed to working with clubs, authorities, law enforcement, and social media companies to address this issue, as well as supporting investigations to bring those responsible to justice.
Anyone found guilty of discrimination will face the toughest possible punishments: jail time, football bans, and even a criminal record.”
DAVID MOYES REVEALS "NERVES" AS EVERTON HUNT HISTORIC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION SPOT
David Moyes admits Everton's Champions League hunt is nerve-wracking. See the latest on the Toffees' battle for Europe.
David Moyes admits the idea of Everton making the Champions League this soon in their rebuild actually makes him “shake a wee bit.”
You look at the club now, and it's hard to believe where they were just 14 months ago. When Moyes returned, Everton looked beaten down from years of fighting to stay up. Suddenly, with only seven games left, they’re sitting eighth. That spot could mean Europa Conference League football, but after their win against Chelsea before the break, they’re now just three points off fourth. It’s wild to even talk about the Champions League, but it’s right there in reach.
Reporters put the question to him how does it feel to be this close? With Europe’s spots possibly extending down to fifth (or maybe even further, depending on how other English clubs do), Moyes wasn’t hiding his nerves: “It’s probably the best shot we’ve had in a long time. But when I hear ‘Champions League’? Makes me shake a wee bit, honestly. I’ve been lucky to manage in Europe’s other competitions lately, and if we do make it, I’m sure we’d be able to hold our own at certain stages. Still, the Champions League is just on another level.”
Everton’s next match at Brentford looks huge for their European dreams. Brentford beat them earlier in the season, and right now, both teams are level, separated only by goal difference.
Moyes is clearly enjoying this chapter. “Listen, Europe’s Europe. If someone had said at the start, ‘You’re going to get European football,’ we’d have snapped their hand off. It could be the tiddlywinks European cup, and we’d be up for it. Evertonians want the club back in those conversations. We’re getting attention for the new stadium, we’ve got a couple of England internationals getting noticed more, it’s a good time. If we do sneak into the Champions League, it’d be an unbelievable achievement. But honestly, no matter which competition we make, it’s still a big step forward for us.”
