Chelsea talking tactics: Deja vu with the Villans after a long wait

Chelsea had to wait a long time, but the club is finally set to play Aston Villa. Not much has changed but a whole lot has too.

It has been over three months since Chelsea was set to play Dean Smith’s Aston Villa. Way back then, the Blues were riding the high of a big win over Everton. Aston Villa was on the ropes and Dean Smith was allegedly just one loss away from losing his job.

Back before the break, Aston Villa was the team of noble losses and draws. Every newly promoted trio has at least one club like that; they rarely win but they at least put up a fight the whole way. Some of that has already been seen in Villa’s 0-0 draw against the marauding Sheffield United.

Chelsea, however, is a different beast. They have yet to play, but the club will be riding the high of new signings and players returning from injury. Smith may not be sacked now for dropping points, but his back and the club’s is very much against the wall.

Aston Villa rarely stray from a 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3 shape. The wingers, not unlike Frank Lampard’s, are not necessarily traditional wingers so it can look a bit like a 4-3-2-1 at times. But overall, it has stayed standard all season.

Villa aims to get the ball up field as quickly as possible to catch the opponent off guard. As the season has progressed, that has gone from a short possession based game that works in the Championship to a long ball game that has not really worked either but it at least has a better chance given the talent disparity.

On defense, the nearest player will press to buy time for his teammates to fall into a defensive shape. It seemingly only buys time for the inevitable as Villa still has the worst defensive record in the Premier League.

Villa relies heavily on their front three to carry them through games. The striker has to hold long enough for Jack Grealish or another winger to get a hold of the ball. At that point, they basically stop relying on passing and they just hope their players can dribble their way through. While that can be effective, it is not a strategy that will work every match.

Because they rely so much on balls over the top and their wider players dribbling, Chelsea should be able to find plenty of space for counters if they can get the ball back at the right moments. Aston Villa could adopt a more conservative and controlled approach for the Blues, but their defensive record would indicate that would be unwise as well. Regardless, the Blues simply need to be aware of the limited dangers Aston Villa presents and how to exploit it.

The hardest part for Chelsea will be their own expectations. Aston Villa has already played a game so they have had some warm up, but overall they largely know their fate at the end of the season. Chelsea is coming off several big signings and now a Champions League spot is basically a must (not as if it was not before).

Chelsea needs to pick up where they left off and trust their own ability over Villa’s. If they do so, this match should be as preordained as it was three months ago.