While last week was a major one for Chelsea FC (Swansea, Schalke, Man City) this week is really about one man… Gary Cahill. Somehow, this weeks fixtures are an episode of “This Is Your Life” starring our fearless Center Back as Chelsea play Cahill’s previous two employers Bolton Wanderers and now Aston Villa. Gary Cahill was in the Villa academy as a youngster and spent three years in the first team from 2005 to 2008 but really developed in the four and a half seasons he spent at Bolton Wanderers.
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After beating Bolton in a Capital One Cup clash, his attention is now squarely on the side where he got his start in 2000. In speaking about Aston Villa to the Chelsea website, Cahill said, “I had a great time at Villa, more than anything with the youth team. I owe a lot to them, they brought me through and I had a great time, so I’m looking forward to it.”
The growth of Cahill has been one of the more understated parts of Chelsea’s past few seasons. Many were skeptical, me included, on whether he could make the transition from “mid-table star” to “Champions League Level star.” The results to this point have been exemplary as he, along with Captain John Terry, formed the spine of the stingiest defense in the Premier League last season.
Looking ahead to the Villa clash he said, “They’ve had a great start to the season … so it’s going to be another tough test for us.” While Aston Villa’s recent 3-0 loss to Arsenal may cause some to scoff at his concern, it was reported that many members of the Villa squad were suffering from the flu and were not fully fit. If Jose Mourinho feels he must motivate his players then they need to look no further than last seasons shocking 1-0 defeat in March to keep the Blues focused on the task at hand.
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