Rafa Benitez has just announced the team to play Aston Villa this afternoon and it’s an unchanged side from the side that beat Crystal Palace 1-0 last Saturday – with Gini Wijnaldum holding his place in midfield.
Aston Villa (3-5-2): Mark Bunn; Alan Hutton, Ciaran Clark, Joleon Lescott (c), Kevin Toner, Leandro Bacuna; Ashley Westwood, Carlos Sanchez, Idrissa Gueye; Jordan Ayew, Scott Sinclair
Substitutes: Brad Guzan, Micah Richards, Jordan Lyden, Carles Gil, Jack Grealish, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Adama Traore
Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Karl Darlow; Vurnon Anita, Chancel Mbemba, Jamaal Lascelles, Paul Dummett; Cheick Tiote, Jack Colback; Andros Townsend, Moussa Sissoko (c), Georginio Wijnaldum; Papiss Cisse
Substitutes: Freddie Woodman, Daryl Janmaat, Steven Taylor, Jonjo Shelvey, Siem de Jong, Ayoze Perez, Aleksandar Mitrovic
Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)
Daryl Janmaat returns from injury and as expected takes his place on the bench with Anita continuing at right-back.
Rafa has gone with a team in form and our bench is strong for this game too.
This is what Rafa has said about the game today:
“It’s important, this message that we’re giving to them – no complacency. Concentrate,”
“We have seen Aston Villa’s last game and they were doing well against Watford. They did really well, so it’s really important.”
“We will play against Tottenham in the next game, but I think that the most important is this one.”
“If we win this one, we’ll approach the next one with the fans behind us and it will be easier to keep everyone on their toes and motivated.”
“But for this game, we need to be sure we’re focused and we cannot lose our concentration.”
“Villa are a good team, but they are in a bad position and they have lost confidence, but they still have some good players and the work rate is there.”
For us, that is the main thing – that we will play at our level.”
“If we win, it will be because the players are working as hard as they are working now. If we cannot, maybe it will be because Aston Villa have done well, but I have the confidence that we can win.”
There is real confidence amongst the fans that we can win this game.
371 comments so far
one fine day
May 7, 2016 at 3:15 PM
Comment #81chelsea singing “down with the villa ”
happy days
Bobbybee
May 7, 2016 at 3:16 PM
Comment #82Chelsea! Get in!!!
Mister Tuff
May 7, 2016 at 3:17 PM
Comment #83Crap cross by Dummet – we had 2 free players in the “D”.
Hail Wor Ashley
May 7, 2016 at 3:17 PM
Comment #84Need to up the tempo and take it to them. Been dragged down to their carefree cruising tempo so far.
manxpie
May 7, 2016 at 3:19 PM
Comment #85Get in Chelsea very scrappy so far need an early goal to settle the nerves
Tinman
May 7, 2016 at 3:19 PM
Comment #86Just a matter of time Villa are shite
Bobbybee
May 7, 2016 at 3:19 PM
Comment #87Ibiza, happy to hear it marra. I think our problems basically stem from misunderstandings. My humour maybe doesn’t transmit overseas lmao! Sunlun not quite worldbeaters after all eh! Buzzin’! HOWAY THE LADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Norlinsen
May 7, 2016 at 3:20 PM
Comment #88We are starting lively, looks like we are really going for it!!
one fine day
May 7, 2016 at 3:21 PM
Comment #89beach balls are taking the pi22 here
toonbrother
May 7, 2016 at 3:21 PM
Comment #90well done pauly d
Griff-toon
May 7, 2016 at 3:21 PM
Comment #91Good tackle Dummet
manxpie
May 7, 2016 at 3:22 PM
Comment #92Wat a tackle by dummet
ilovetoon8788
May 7, 2016 at 3:22 PM
Comment #93Scums lost and 3 points today will almost surely guarantee us safety.
Ibizatoon
May 7, 2016 at 3:22 PM
Comment #94Bobby…I think I said as much the other day. Maybe one day (not today…we’ve bigger fish to fry) we can address them.
Might make the jokes a little easy to translate. From both sides.
If NUFC can pull this off, I don’t see why we couldn’t get along. Maybe we’re getting carried away with the optimism though 🙂
Go Chelsea!
manxpie
May 7, 2016 at 3:23 PM
Comment #95Cisse is site ffs
Mister Tuff
May 7, 2016 at 3:23 PM
Comment #96Cisse – oh dear!.
big pete
May 7, 2016 at 3:25 PM
Comment #97It’s all coming together for us, we need a couple of goals today, aswel as the win! To keep ahead and it piles the pressure on scumberland
toon kk
May 7, 2016 at 3:25 PM
Comment #98Cisse keeps tripping up over his own legs
Belfast
May 7, 2016 at 3:25 PM
Comment #99Why not just play Sissoko or Wini upfront? Cisse is a pain in the arse
Hail Wor Ashley
May 7, 2016 at 3:26 PM
Comment #100Very flat and tentative so far.
What’s happened to Gini’s electric acceleration?
ilovetoon8788
May 7, 2016 at 3:31 PM
Comment #101We are piss poor so far really..
EllaGuru
May 7, 2016 at 3:31 PM
Comment #102Gini is having one of his uninterested away games it seems.
Hail Wor Ashley
May 7, 2016 at 3:32 PM
Comment #103Cisse slow in the head. Take him off for Mitrovic because this is poor all round and it needs an injection of passion.
Everybody waiting for somebody else to make a brave move. Sissoko not once opened his legs and carried the ball.
toon kk
May 7, 2016 at 3:35 PM
Comment #104We play Cisse up front but he’s not effective enough and wastes 99% of his rare chances. Hence our poor cutting edge. Our goals rarely come from strikers. Needs sorting.
manxpie
May 7, 2016 at 3:35 PM
Comment #105I hope we come out in the 2nd half with more urgency this is dire so far
addistoon
May 7, 2016 at 3:36 PM
Comment #106what the f is going on!!!!
Belfast
May 7, 2016 at 3:37 PM
Comment #107He completely scuffed that
Ibizatoon
May 7, 2016 at 3:38 PM
Comment #108Hasn’t it been like this during the first half for our previous 4 games too? Seems the plan is to contain in the first half and to keep ourselves in the game.
Adjust for the second half and do the business then.
Doesn’t help the nerves, but it’s not unlike what’s come before.
ilovetoon8788
May 7, 2016 at 3:39 PM
Comment #109Our left hand side with gini is almost non existent.
jane
May 7, 2016 at 3:40 PM
Comment #110“Hasn’t it been like this during the first half for our previous 4 games too? ”
yep that’s why i bet on unders and have cashed out 🙂
EllaGuru
May 7, 2016 at 3:40 PM
Comment #111ilovetoon
You are right. I means that Townsend is being asked to carry a lot of the creative responsibilities
one fine day
May 7, 2016 at 3:40 PM
Comment #112ibiza
so we get to half time nil nil?
ommmmmmmmm
jane
May 7, 2016 at 3:41 PM
Comment #113oh no is that a Sunderland goaal
manxpie
May 7, 2016 at 3:42 PM
Comment #114Oh fusk off Sunderland
sing in the corner
May 7, 2016 at 3:42 PM
Comment #115Ibiza
If it works out…no complaints.
But…we are contriving to do the only dangerous thing, let Villa grow in confidence. Come on lads, take it to em, especially since the scum equalised..
ilovetoon8788
May 7, 2016 at 3:42 PM
Comment #116Villa might just sink us today.
one fine day
May 7, 2016 at 3:42 PM
Comment #117cisse doing my nut in here
when he need s to play the simple ball just hoofs it anywhere ?
Hail Wor Ashley
May 7, 2016 at 3:42 PM
Comment #118Ibiza
Difficult to tell whether it’s by design or not. Don’t think it is today, just poor. Can’t see the benefit of cutting the time you have to score in by half, when you know a win is needed and GD could be crucial.
Villa showing more fight now FFS!
Ibizatoon
May 7, 2016 at 3:43 PM
Comment #119One Fine Day…
Ummmmm…
Ommmmm…
I’d prefer we manage a goal before half time .
manxpie
May 7, 2016 at 3:43 PM
Comment #120Ffs Cisse sprinting offside he must be thick as mince like