Episode 164 - CHELSEA DEMOLISH ASTON VILLA 4-1 AWAY - Joao Pedro Hat Trick and Cole Palmer Fire Chelsea Back to Life

Welcome everybody to episode 164 of Chelsea Against the World, the podcast that brings

it together in American and in Englishmen to discuss all things Chelsea Football Club.

I'm your host Simon, unfortunately, Manny is out of commission again, so it will be

another solo pod with me Simon today. This one is going to be a little bit of a different

tone from the last episode, which was about a 20 minute rant saying how much I hate

Arsenal. This time, this is going to be a much more pleasant episode because this is off

the back of Chelsea dominating, Asdenville, a 4-1 at Villa Park on Wednesday in the Premier

League. What a result from Chelsea and what a response you have to say. I really didn't

think we had it in us. If you subscribe to our newsletter, which you can do off our

website, which is at c80wpodcast.com, I mentioned that this team has given me absolutely no reason

to believe why they could come away with a result of Asdenville on Wednesday. Instead of

talk, I wanted to see some action and I want to see a response from this Chelsea team in

a grown-up performance. Am I goodness did they deliver? They delivered absolutely brilliantly

against Asdenville. Incredible hatchback from Jal Pedro, Cole Palmer back on the score

sheet with an excellent finish and really one of the most complete 90 minutes of the season

and it's absolutely spectacular. What a watch for Chelsea fans. I think we've deserved

that. I think the performance against Arsenal, as I mentioned on the last episode, wasn't

actually that bad, but it was our old familiar failings coming back to bite us. This time,

we kept 11 men on the field. We kept 11 men on the field and we eased a victory, which

I thought in my team prediction reel that I published on Tuesday on our social media accounts

at c80wpodcast and Chelsea gets a World TV on YouTube. I mentioned that Chelsea do play

well against Asdenville away. We generally do. We didn't get the result there last season,

but I thought if we keep 11 men on the field, we would get a victory. I didn't think it

was going to be as easy as it was. Chelsea were utterly fantastic after that early goal.

What a response from the players and we're going to go into that in depth in this episode

to talk about a fantastic performance and some of the highlights from it. Just to recap,

after a very busy couple of days in the Premier League and some wild results, actually,

matched the city, dropping points at home to nothing of forest. Now, really, probably handing

Arsenal the title, you would suggest. I think it's going to be very difficult to claw

back the difference from now. I know they still got a game in hand, but seven points behind

with only eight games left. It's going to be very difficult. Manchester United losing a

new castle massive, which Chelsea are now only three points behind Masters United in third

and Asdenville in fourth. Obviously, we beat them tonight in Liverpool, losing to wolves

on Tuesday. It's still a staggering result. And somehow, Chelsea, you're still very much

in this Champions League race. I don't know how it has happened. Historically, if you look

at some of the point numbers at this point, this season, Chelsea should be nowhere near

these positions. But we're still in this race. We're still in this race and everyone is

dropping points around us. And I can't tell you how important that victory was this evening.

I thought it was the biggest game of the season for Chelsea. If you're looking at some of

the things that happened in the Premier League, some pretty wild things happen, but just

to come back to our previous episode, because I've got a lot of heat for this on social

media account, mainly from the Arsenal Snowflake supporters, Shocker. But if anyone is in any

doubt that the Premier League are trying to hand this title to Arsenal, I would suggest

you look at some of the things that happened on the Wednesday night in the Premier League.

First of all, Manchester City denied a complete Stonewall penalty on a foul on Erling

Harland from the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper. And it was just waved away. I do not understand

that. And then in the Brighton game against Arsenal, Gabrielle Martin and he rugby tackled

one of the Brighton players. And it wasn't reviewed properly by the VAR. It was a Stonewall

penalty. Arsenal are being gifted this Premier League by the officials. They placed the ugliest

football I've ever seen and they assault players on the field. Rugby tackle them, bring them

down. It's absolutely atrocious. And this Premier League is rigged this year. They're

trying to do everything they can just make Manchester City lose it and Arsenal win. It's probably

got something to do with the main charges, to be honest. But my goodness, Arsenal, if you

don't win it from here, this will be the biggest bottle job in history. But to move off

that horrible football club, I know people think I've got a bit of a complex about Arsenal.

And you'd be right. I do. I absolutely despise them. They're the worst team in the world,

the worst club in the worst fans in the world. But let's talk about the good things. Let's

talk about Chelsea 4, Aston Villa 1. And just before we talk about the team sheet, you have

to say this is Lee and Resigne, your signature winners, a Chelsea manager. I don't think anyone

had the expectations we would go there and walk to a victory like we did. And yeah, it was

probably the most complete 90 minutes under him and one of the most complete 90 minutes

of the season. And whether it will now win over Chelsea fans, who knows? I think the Chelsea

fan base in England is a little bit different from the Chelsea fan base in America. I think

American Chelsea supporters, I think tend to have a bit more patience about what happens

and have a bit of a long term vision considering some of the sports that you play and for support

over here. But the English fans just demand immediate results. And as I mentioned previously,

I'm not going to judge Resigne until the end of the season until I see where we finish up.

But that you can't argue with the performance like that. And it made some really big calls.

He made some really big calls, especially on the team sheet today, dropping Robert Sanchez

for Philip Jorgensen. That was about as bold as it gets. I know Sanchez had a very poor game

against Arsenal on Sunday. But removing your goalkeeper when when me and man, he'd been crying out

for defensive continuity or season to change your goalkeeper in this big of a game. After just one

bad performance, Sanchez has been very good all season, but he did play poorly on Sunday.

And to counter that with bringing in your reserve goalkeeper was just a big move. And if it

went wrong, I think everybody would have jumped on him. But I suppose at this point in the season,

fortune favors the brave and Resigne made that call and it worked. The rest of the team sheet,

Malagus throw it right back, Wesley Fafana coming back in and sent it back off to suspension

Trevor Chalibar, Yorah Hato who will talk about in depth later in the game, later in the episode.

Resigne's back into sentiment field after brilliant performance at right back against Arsenal.

Again, a very bold move next to Moises Kaiseido. Dropping Andrew Santos to the bench, which

again, Santos has been playing really well recently. Enzo Fernandez further forward,

Cole Palmer to the right, Garnacho who will talk about in depth and then the fantastic Jal

Pedro up top. Just a really bold line up as I'd mentioned. And the game started about as

worse ways it possibly could have done. Of course, it was the player who Chelsea were linked with in

January, Douglas the Wies scoring the first goal for Arsenal Villa. And it was just a very soft

goal. As I mentioned in our newsletter, Chelsea just don't concede good goals. They're all just

very, very sloppy goals. And it looked like we were all half asleep. I have to say it was a fantastic

finish by Douglas the Wies. And I'm not sure what the team could have done more to try and stop it

considering it snuck through with a back heel. But there was numerous opportunities to break down

the attack from our defence on the left side. I think there were a catalogue of errors. And we just

looked half asleep, to be honest. And Arsenal Villa took advantage. And going back to Jorgensen as

well, I think the memories I have of him playing last season, his last, I think it was his last

Premier League start for Chelsea was the last minute loss against Arsenal Villa last season away

from home where he made a complete howler. But I think he composed himself and did pretty well

today. He didn't have much to do to be fair for the honest outside of the goal. We had a couple

of routine saves, but he was pretty, pretty good on the ball and launched the ball out brilliantly

from the throw it from the throws as well. But Chelsea responded brilliantly. I think Alejandro

Garnaccio played absolutely superbly today, causing havoc to Mattie Cash down the left side for

Chelsea. Created five big opportunities in that first half alone, which is pretty impressive.

Considering hasn't played much football recently, Garnaccio did brilliantly in that game,

actually. I think it was a big moment for him. I think there was areas where he could have done

better as well, but immediately he was causing problems. And Jalpejo had an early opportunity,

which he probably should have done better from. But it wasn't long before Chelsea created that

equaliser. A fantastic move started off by Anzo Fernandez shifting the ball out to the right side.

Malagusto with a great ball in and Jalpejo there once again for the first goal. And then I think

the turning point of the game, which I mentioned on my real after the game, was that Oli Watkins

disallow goal. I think I think Chelsea started really shakily, really shakily out of the back.

I think we were causing problems going forward, but we were pressing so high that one long ball over

the top was just destroying us every time. And I think Resi Fafana in particular was that fault for

a lot of the chances that were occurring at that point in the game. And Oli Watkins was just ahead

of the line, just ahead of the line. And fortunately he was offside. And I think actually for

that moment in it kind of focused us. And I think there's something about this Chelsea team where

they have to do something to implode to get them focused immediately. And I think especially when

Fafana went down with a little flick from Oli Watkins into his eye, I think we were very lucky there.

But again, as I said, those kind of things just focused us. And then the second goal came brilliantly

just before half time. Ezra Fernandez with a really delicate touch to Jal Pedro. And another one

of those deft finishes from Jal Pedro over the top of Emmy Martinez, who I think actually

played quite well for video. I think he kept it from being 5 or 6. But what a finish from Jal Pedro.

Absolutely stunning. And I mentioned this in a conversation with some people that I talked to

during the game. But I think after that first half, I think Jal Pedro is the best natural finisher

we've had in a quarter wallet. Chelsea, I think people people talk about Karl Palmer's finishing,

but Jal Pedro can do it with both feet. And he just calmed the moment down every time you think

back to the PSG goal in the club world cut final where he chipped it over the goalkeeper. He did that

again the other week against Leeds and then did it again tonight in that really crucial moment to

send us into one. And then we got into half time. And honestly, I thought that as I mentioned,

we were a bit shaky to begin with. But we grew into the game and those two goals really settled

the nerves down massively. I think there's something about this Chelsea team that just plays better

when they were coming from behind when we're in the lead from the start. We just don't really know

how to deal with it and have the maturity to move on and try and win the game. But

the second half we started brilliantly again really created lots of opportunities. Villa kind of

came at us a little bit, but we were hitting them on the counter brilliantly. And then Karl Palmer

with a fantastic finish to put Chelsea three one up really brilliant from him. I think it really

settled him down. I think he looked a bit again, looked a bit shaky in that first half, but

as soon as that goal went in, his confidence grew and it looked like the old Karl Palmer was back

again. And that finish was not easy. There was mayhem going on in the box. Brilliant set up play

again from Chelsea with Gel Pedro and Reese James hurling the ball into the box with Emmy Martinez

pairing it away and then Karl Palmer taking down with an excellent finish to guide it through

those defenders. Great to see really great to see and it looked like it was a big weight off his

shoulders. I know he scored a few goals here and there in the last few weeks, but most of them

being penalties. This felt like the old Karl Palmer back back in business. And then it wasn't long

before the fourth goal. A great counter attack again from Chelsea. Alejandro Garnacho, as I mentioned,

he was absolutely brilliant all game away him and Gel Pedro again and crossed it brilliantly for

Gel Pedro to do the tapping. It just that moment reminded me of a couple of seasons ago. I think

one of our friends mentioned it as well that when Raheem Sterling was at one-on-one against Wolves

and they had the opportunity to square the ball to Karl Palmer or Jackson next to him. He took

it on and I think Garnacho showed the maturity in that moment that Raheem Sterling lacked

and put it across and scored it. And for then on in, it was just the end of the game. I think

the crowd at Asavilla were just leaving in droves at that point because they knew Chelsea would

do it dominating proceedings. And it gave us the opportunity to make some substitutions and

bring on some players as well. The substitutions, it was great to see Ramiro Lavier get some more

minutes. Mark Cicarella back from injury. Andro Santos and Leanderlap as well in toasting coming

on too. But by that fourth goal, it was done and dusted and I can't tell you the last time

I can remember Chelsea cruising to a victory against one of our big rivals in the league.

At this point in Asavilla and No Mugs, they're still third in the division and

Chelsea's just dominating the game as soon as we equalised and it was really nice to see

really mature performance. And it makes you wonder where has this team been all season?

Where have they been all season? This is what they're capable of. We have the talent and

our team to produce performances like this. There's quality all over the pitch.

And some of those features of this team really stuckly head in the first few minutes.

The way that we were playing and being reckless opened the door for Villa to take evasion.

We were quite lucky in those moments of Villa didn't more than one goal lead.

But the way that we responded was brilliant and maybe this team as I've mentioned works better

with adversity. It's easier to focus the mind in those situations. And this inconsistency we've

seen from this Chelsea team. It's massed the talent of this Chelsea team. We see that with the

quality of players that we've got to produce a performance like that in such a big game.

Really outstanding to see. Really outstanding to see. Man of the match I think it could have been

a number of candidates. I think Alejandro Garnatio's best performance in a Chelsea shirt as I'd

mentioned really was utterly superb all the way through. Matti Cash did not know how to deal with

him at all. They actually took him off at half time because he was on a yellow because Garnatio was

causing so many problems. There were a number of other fantastic performances around the pitch.

Reese James is just one of the best players in the world. He's not just one of the best

right best in the world. He's one of the best players in the world. It really hit me in the

90 second minute when Reese James was recovering and still defending brilliantly that I can't remember

the last time I expected Reese James to compete two full 90 minutes in such a short space of time

in three days against Arsenal and then tonight against Asim Villa. It made me really proud of him

as a Chelsea supporter and as a common kid as well. He just loves the club and it does mean more

when he's a captain and he's come through the system. You can ask any Chelsea fan how much

John Terry means to them because he is a common kid that came through the Chelsea systems

have become our captain and Reese James is an exactly the same boat and I'm just so

chuffering that he's back on the pitch playing at such a high level and doing brilliantly.

Yorohato as well I thought was again brilliant. I don't know why he hasn't been playing

regularly and been tried out more. Maybe he's taken a bit of time to settle who knows what we've

seen behind the scenes but he was brilliant again today. I thought he's looked so calm and

composed on the ball and for our old school Chelsea fans as well. He reminds reminded me a little

bit of one of our other Dutch players that we had at the start of the Chelsea revolution in the 90s

Rude Hullet who came from the Ajax Amsterdam Academy as well as Hato did. Just brilliant technical

footballer and he's only 19 years old. He's only going to get better and I think he's shown in

the last two games that he's ready to deputise for Mark Kukarella when he's not available and

actually offers a very different skill set to Mark Kukarella. He looks far more calm. Kukarella

I think thrives on a bit of chaos and causing problems. I think Hato is very much a technical

footballer who could beat you with this skill in his passing and I'm just I'm really excited about

the future for him but man the match only is what I've ever done and that's just your Pedro.

Really? What a player this guy is man. He's absolutely fantastic. Definitely for me the

Premier League signing of the season. So many goals in a team that's been

faltering so many assists, connects the play brilliantly and every Chelsea fan knows that the

successful Chelsea sides of the last couple of decades has been centered around a top level

striker and I think everyone needs to accept now that Jao Pedro is that top level striker for

Chelsea 24 years old 16 goals in all competitions just absolutely superb and I think he had a bit of

a dip in form earlier in the season when I think he was he was carrying an injury but this is the

striker for Chelsea's future. His link up play with the attack is utterly superb and as I mentioned

earlier in the episode is finishing his calmness and calmness to put the ball away in the in the

heat at the moment is absolutely amazing and if he can stay fit Chelsea have a chance to this

Champions League they do they really really do and I think he is going to be the one to spearhead

it for us and I think he has been he's the one keeping us alive in the Champions League race

in the last few weeks with the results stuttering and the performance is stuttering and he was just

brilliant tonight and the first Premier League hat trick I was really really pleased for him.

In terms of Rossignia as I mentioned earlier it's a signature win for him some bold team selections

for him really some bold team selection. Jorgensen could have gone horribly wrong for Chelsea and

some of the other selection as well. Garnacho hasn't really featured recently but Rossignia taught him

up in the press conference in the last couple of days and that maybe that made an impact on Garnacho

and he looked a lot more focused and a lot more dangerous this evening it's a very good side.

I think the jury is still out for me on Rossignia I have to be honest I think I was very

disappointed with the departure of Enzo Marasco and I'm going to judge Rossignia on results at the

end of the season. I've been talking to a lot of our American fans about it and I think a lot of

people are very much behind Rossignia and I'm supporting him as well I'm just not rushing to

judgment on his performances but I think the English fans need to see some success this season to

get behind him. I think that's the difference in the culture and the aspect of how we judge

managers. I think the the last manager that really got every Chelsea fan on board immediately

was Thomas Tukel because that Champions League win was so historic and such a big moment for the club

and I think Rossignia I think the way he will do it this season is to get Champions League football

which is a given for Chelsea fans but also to win the FA Cup as well. We need to win a domestic trophy

it's been since 2018 was our last domestic trophy with a lot of finals and a lot of disappointments

and if he can deliver that I think the domestic trophies mean a lot to the English fans and I think

that will do will go a long way to make him very much completely supported by the Chelsea

fan base which is long overdue but what a win for Chelsea and what a win for these players and

what a response and it was great for the Chelsea fan base to feel some success after a big game for

a change. Speaking of the FA Cup that brings us to our next game on Saturday and the FA Cup

away at the famous Hollywood new Hollywood team Rexham. I might get my tin fall hat on this one but

I think this was the game that the FA were absolutely desperate to have for the TV numbers coming

this weekend. Rexham obviously owned by the two Hollywood stars Rob McElhenny and Ryan Reynolds

and their their documentary series has been the reason why they're jumping support obviously

their promotions as well but Chelsea have to win this game as I mentioned silverware is really

important for Chelsea this season we've got some big games coming up but I really think obviously

the Champions League game against PSG is next week but I think Chelsea needs to prioritise this

as much as possible we are nearly at full fitness again for a squad. Only really Levi Cowell was the

only absentee at the moment. Lavier is back in training and playing again. Darius Sugo is back

we've got most of our wingers apart from Jamie Gittens available and Estava was on the on the

verge of coming back as well. I think we have to go pretty full strength against Rexham because I

think the team is in a rhythm at the moment and they need to keep winning and this is the important game

so I want to see maybe some of the players rested but not many of them I want to see maybe give

me some minutes to some of the players who need it to get their their fitness back in action as well

and I think for me this is this is a bit of an ideological game for Chelsea against Rexham

this Rexham idea I understand why I sense a training especially for American fanbase as well

you're seeing a club from the lower leagues get so many consecutive promotions and I know it

feels like an underdog story it really isn't there are hundreds of teams like Rexham in the UK

and in England in particular who have got just such a same romantic story of being a grass

roots football club from the start of the football league in the 19th century just as Rexham

this is not an underdog story they've been bought out by some very rich people in the same way

Chelsea have Chelsea are not seen as an underdog the disparity in wealth that that Rexham had

compared to the rest of the teams that they were playing in the lower leagues was pretty significant

and it had to it had to lead to those promotions I have no qualms with the Rexham fans they can do

what they want they can celebrate their wins as much as possible but just don't sell me as being

an underdog story because that is not the case at all and Chelsea need to put these Hollywood stars

back in their place on Saturday and I want a convincing win I want a 3-0 win for Chelsea

against Rexham and I think considering the disparity and quality that we have if we're up for it

we should win this comfortably so I'm going to predict a 3-0 Chelsea win so that brings us to

the end of another episode of Chelsea against the world I appreciate you tuning into this

shorter episode again I thought she managed his out of commission at the moment so it's been

another one with just me if you enjoyed the show please do give us a five star review and

subscribe whatever podcast platform you listen to us on we're at C-80W podcast on Instagram

and TikTok on Chelsea against the world TV on YouTube. I've got an email for us with info at C-80W

podcast.com and as I mentioned our newsletter is up running twice a week at the moment and it's

you can subscribe on C-80W podcast.com that you just fill in your email address there and

there'll be sent you inbox twice a week at the moment keep the faith it's been a while since I feel

like I've said that with some real meaning. What a result by this Chelsea team this evening

let's keep it going got a big run of fixtures we need to keep them momentum going to the end of

the season let's see if the boys can do it but thank you so much we'll see you soon after the

Rexham game. Thank you so much and we'll see you soon after the Rexham game.