Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1: CARLO ANCELOTTI'S reputation at Milan was built on two Champions League successes, but he took the Serie A title just once during his eight years in charge.
A multitude of managers will envy him that record and it may well have been expertise on the European scene that made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea. All the same, he has to thrive in the Premier League as well if he wishes for a long stay in England.
Nothing terrible has befallen him yet. A second consecutive away defeat on the domestic front is a feeble sort of crisis since the new leaders, Manchester United, are merely a point clear of Chelsea. In contrast to the 3-1 loss at Wigan, Ancelotti’s side produced some excellent football.
“They don’t get the credit they deserve,” said the admiring Villa manager Martin O’Neill.
He was in a position to applaud the losers because his line-up had made such a good impression. Villa, for instance, have the best defensive record in the Premier League. When they fell behind on Saturday it was to an individual mistake by Brad Friedel, who misread the bounce on a long-range attempt by Didier Drogba and let the ball go over his shoulder.
Thereafter, the rhythm and purpose of Chelsea’s approach work still did not wreak sufficient havoc. The clearest opportunity to tie the score at 2-2 was Nicolas Anelka’s, but he fired straight at Friedel after breaking through in the 74th minute.
Villa ought to have had a third goal before that, when John Carew misconnected after build-up from Ashley Young and the impressive James Milner.
Early in the match, too, referee Kevin Friend, deputising after Steve Bennett had taken ill, might have given a penalty for a challenge on Gabriel Agbonlahor.
There is a habit of talking as if the customary top four are permanent residents of the upper storeys, but it is not only Manchester City who question that. O’Neill had a setback in the effort to smash that cartel last season. Villa stood fourth when the then captain Martin Laursen picked up another of his many knee injuries in January and had to retire.
When O’Neill speaks of losing the centre-back, you can sense him having a flashback to the dismay. “I didn’t expect that when Laursen played against West Bromwich Albion it would be his last game,” he said.
Villa went on to finish sixth. There is no certainty of improving on that, bearing in mind Manchester City’s signing spree, but O’Neill has regrouped.
Carlos Cuellar is the one survivor from the old back four and is now settled on the right. Richard Dunne, James Collins and Stephen Warnock are the new additions. All of them were confident and unwavering against Chelsea.
Considering that Dunne and Collins scored Villa’s goals, the impact of the defenders had been decisive.
Guardian Service
