David Luiz Downs Manchester City

Chelsea's Curly-haired Assassin

After 75 minutes of two blunt attacks bludgeoning each other into a stalemate, and boring the crowd into dreaming about the final whistle, up stepped Chelsea’s saviour.

Not the 50 million pound man, Fernando Torres, but a more unlikely hero: David Luiz.

 

Luiz is the perfect cult figure. He already has a nickname in ‘Sideshow Bob’ – because of his resemblance to the Simpsons character; in his every movement he embodies the likeable exuberance of an energetic teenager; and he is developing a priceless knack for turning big games.

 

It is ironic that the crucial goals scored by Luiz, which won yesterday’s game against Manchester City, and which sparked a 2-1 comeback victory against Manchester United three weeks ago, are those which look like they may secure the lucrative Champions League football that onlooking owner Roman Abramovich demands. The same Champions League football, that is, which Fernando Torres was bought to provide.

 

The beauty of Luiz lies in the unrefined tenacity that is a hallmark of his play, and it is this quality that makes him a perfect fit for the tumultuous fashion and frenetic pace in which Premier League games are played. He flies into every tackle as if it were his last, and he drives his team-mates forward as though he was their inspirational captain – a position which he surely may one day hold.

 

Sunday’s game against Man City was conspicuous by its lack of creativity. A Chelsea side bereft of width were perfect fodder for the sponge-like defensive core of Manchester City, which soaked up the opposition’s direct attacks with ease. 

 

But David Luiz won a free-kick through his desire to make something happen; tripped by Micah Richards whilst desperately searching for space in a final third of the pitch saturated by leaden attackers and defenders. From the resulting ball in, Luiz grabbed his chance and forced home a header to provide the spark that seemed so unlikely to come from anywhere else.

 

Luiz looks to be one of the most fortunate signings of the season. He was brought in by the Blues not to score goals, but to provide a much needed lift to an ageing and weakening back line. Arguably, it was not even a striker or centre-back that Chelsea needed the most from the January transfer window, but a wide-man. 

 

Chelsea’s tight midfield, not helped by the unbalanced wing-back pairing of Ashley Cole and the ill-suited Branislav Ivanovic, is crying out for some creativity from the wings, particularly from the right flank. It is hard to see Torres, a player who enjoys converting crosses, maximising his talent in this present Chelsea set up – a set up which is starting to look plodding and predictable rather than pacy and powerful.

So how fortunate Chelsea are that they have discovered a player with more strings to his bow than they had imagined, and who may yet save their season. At present David Luiz is almost single-handedly galvanising the Blues. If some of Chelsea’s old guard can muster one last effort and join his revolution then Chelsea may yet prove a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League, and In Europe.

Arsenal’s Flair Stifled By Blues’ Pragmatism

Zigic was the very large thorn in Arsenal's side

 

It was a classic cup game: Alex McLeish’s tenacious hyenas versus Arsene Wenger’s elegant gazelles.

But the result was always likely to go the Blues’ way. Birmingham hunted as a pack whilst Arsenal’s cup-shy youngsters scattered in the face of a dogged opponent. 
 
I’ve already blogged about the false economy marring Wenger’s decision not to spend big on a centre-back or ‘keeper. Had Arsenal a Vidic or a Terry in their ranks yesterday, they would surely have had the added steel necessary to batter down Birmingham.
 
As it was, the Blues did all the battering, mainly through their beacon up front, Nicola Zigic. At times, particularly during much of the second-half, the Serb was like a lighthouse in the distance, guiding the rest of the Birmingham team towards the opposition box when they couldn’t find their own way forward.
 
The 6’7” striker, much criticised in the first half of the season, has found his feet in England. And an in-form target man is exactly the kind of pest that irritates the Arsenal defence.
 
Having masterfully shackled Leo Messi just a week earlier, Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny seemed completely thrown out by the presence of Zigic. The Blues’ talisman resembled a giant wading through a field of daisies, as he batted Arsenal defenders out of the way, and forced them to adapt to a different style of attack; a style which ultimately undid them.
 
This is Arsene Wenger’s problem. His team has no answer to an opponent that systematically exploits its weaknesses.
 
Arsenal’s players need space in order to counter-attack and pass the opposition to exhaustion; and they lack the height and power in defence to deal with an imposing striker.
 
Sam Allardyce’s Bolton side was always so successful against Arsenal because they squeezed the space out of the game and had the bulky Kevin Davies wreaking havoc up front. Indeed, before this season, Arsenal hadn’t won an away game against a side managed by Allardyce since 2002.
 
Birmingham beat Arsenal because they have similar qualities, and maximised their nuisance value. They constantly hit Zigic with long balls, and he was instrumental in both goals. By hitting long balls and relying on a few midfield runners to support Zigic, Birmingham avoided committing large numbers to attacks, thus denying Arsenal opportunities to counter-attack. And they worked tirelessly to press Arsenal players and deny them time on the ball.
 
The description of the Blues’ style of attack as long-ball might anger some fans. But there is no shame in such an approach.
 
Birmingham are capable of playing more attractive football, but their tactical setup was sophisticated in its simplicity. McLeish recognised Arsenal’s pressure points and ordered his side to hit them time and time again. Combined with some very effective substitutions, the Blues’ boss siezed the initiative in the right way and at the right time.
 
Some say Arsenal are not yet ready to win a trophy. But it’s not true. Against world football’s biggest bullies – Barcelona – Arsenal refused to back down and showed a maturity that proves they have the self-belief necessary to win.
 
Their Achilles heel is not youth and experience. In fact their inherent weakness leads a more prominent double-life as their greatest strength. Arsene Wenger, for all his brilliance and wisdom, is strangling Arsenal with stubbornness.
 
If he refuses to alter his side’s style of play against any team, even those, such as Birmingham, that he knows can harm his dainty would-be-kings (and who knows what psychological damage might have been done to his young side on Sunday?), then he must supplement it with some strength.
 
Arguably, in Thomas Vermaelen, Arsenal have a player with the necessary leadership qualities at the back. But Wenger must add squad depth to cope with the possibility of long-term injuries, such as the Achilles problem the Belgium captain currently has.

 

Similarly, the Gunners need some experience in goal to deal with the big occasions. Without composure at the back, mistakes such as the miscommunication between Wojciech Szczesny and Koscielny, that gifted Birmingham the winner, will be made. And they’ll be made in the big games.

 

This Arsenal team is ready to rise to its throne, and could even reign over English football for years to come, but Wenger needs to relax his ardent philosophy of youth development just slightly in order to maximise the enormous potential of the gifted players he has brought through already. Either that, or accept that his team must consider a different tactical approach when facing bruising upstarts such as Birmingham.

 

It was beauty versus the beast on Sunday, and in that match-up there’s only ever going to be one winner. Super-sub Obafemi Martins sealed a fairy-tale victory and will live forever after in Birmingham’s history books. These Arsenal players need to get a little bit ugly themselves if they want to start etching their own names into the Gunners’ illustrious tomes.

Rooney Papers Over The Cracks

I may only be 23, but, at around 2 p.m on Saturday afternoon, I’m pretty sure that I witnessed a moment of timelessness; a moment that will be remembered long after I’m gone.

Awe-struck players and fans alike gasped as Wayne Rooney soared through the air and struck a genuine wondergoal to defeat bitter rivals, Manchester City.

It was a moment deserving not just of winning any game, but also the league title. And it quite possibly has. United’s victory appears to have vanquished another title contender, leaving only a brittle Arsenal team as credible rivals to the Premier League throne.

Yet Rooney’s genius has done well to mask growing and troubling problems for Manchester United.

Manchester City are getting closer.

For much of the first half, until Nani’s momentum-grabbing opener, City were in control of the game. They nonchalantly passed the ball around deep in enemy territory, ignoring the 75,000 strong Red Army surrounding them; oblivious to the crushing weight of history that so often suffocates the belief out of visitors to Old Trafford.

For the first time against United, since Manchester City started gorging from Sheik Mansour’s bottomless trough, they lacked fear.

And it’s not only Man City that have caught scent of a wounded animal. Blackpool, West Brom, Everton, Wolves, Tottenham – to name but a few smaller teams that have torn into United with gay abandon this season. That they haven’t all come away with what they deserved is testament to the fact that United still hold a trump card in the imposing shape of their evergreen manager.

But it’s also due in no small part to United’s other hardy perennials. Still, aged 36 and 37 respectively, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs continue to play pivotal roles in crucial matches for Ferguson. Giggs, in particular, shows remarkable consistency and class, in spite of a greying beard serving as a reminder that his career is very much at its twilight end.

Indeed, yet another game-changing contribution from Giggs yesterday has been largely overlooked amidst the deafening cries hailing Rooney’s genius. An outstanding first-time pass on the half-volley dipped perfectly over the retreating Pablo Zabaleta and into the path of Nani, who finished excellently for the opening goal.

It was the kind of pass that only Giggs could hit. Similar in its beautiful precision to another recent outstanding assist, which set Javier Hernandez through against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, and sparked United’s comeback from 2-0 down to victory.

And there in lies the problem. Giggs and Scholes are special players with the ability to produce unique, magical moments. Replacing such midfield maestros is a tall order, and United don’t seem to have the emerging talent to take over the mantle.

The retirement of Gary Neville at the end of January, combined with the sight of David Beckham watching from the stands yesterday, with his three children, highlights the fact that United’s golden generation is fading away.

True, Ferguson has amassed some outstanding young players. Rooney, at 25, still has many years at the top; Nani is becoming a world-class performer to fill the gap left by Christiano Ronaldo; Antonio Valencia showed signs of development before his injury setback in September; meanwhile Javier Hernandez and Chris Smalling have shown real promise of late. And Fergie is renowned as the master developer, building, dismantling, and re-building successful teams.

But his various United sides have always been anchored by the assuredness and outstanding creativity of Giggs and Scholes. They are Manchester’s masters and United legends. They help the development of other players and over the years they have allowed the team to purr. They also play a crucial role in producing when it matters most and, like Giggs yesterday, pulling United through games they might otherwise lose.

That Ferguson relied upon both Giggs and Scholes as starters in arguably their most important game of the season to date is testament to the lack of alternative options.

Ferguson has been unable to find replacements for his most trusty lieutenants. None of Carrick, Anderson, Fletcher, Gibson, Park, Bebe or Obertan even look close to stepping up to such heights.

And the warning signs are now flashing very brightly. Scholes was poor against City, making simple errors. Like Neville in recent years, he is starting to look out of his depth. Meanwhile Giggs, at 37, cannot possibly continue to play to such an intensity for much longer.

Yet without Giggs, United would not be on course to win the title this season. Meanwhile, Man City are gelling and improving, and growing in confidence ominously. They are adopting United’s own trademark of comfortably winning the vast majority of their games against the smaller teams. And in David Silva they possess exactly the kind of quick-thinking wizard that United need.

If Ferguson cannot find at least one replacement for the old guard in the summer then Man City will be favourites to triumph over their neighbours next season. On Saturday, Rooney didn’t just paper over the cracks; he majestically painted a picture of serenity over them. But he can’t do it every game. Ferguson needs some new heroes.

City Undone by Lack of Ambition

Manchester City have soared to new Premier League heights this season on the back of an impressive away record that is second only to Manchester United’s.

On Saturday however, facing a resilient Villa side, the dour uni-dimensionalism of City’s style was stripped naked to its ugly core.

Roberto Mancini’s structured approach to building a top-four team has made many a dull 90 minutes seem like 180. The Mancini method is as follows: make a strong and disciplined base and decorate with flair and creativity later on. Judging by the evidence of Saturday’s game, he is still a long way from putting the cherry on top.

In many ways, the Italian’s typically conservative approach is commendable. An apparent hobby of collecting defensive midfielders doesn’t fill the heart with joy, but has ensured that City have the league’s second-meanest backline, behind only the champions, Chelsea. And the adage that a successful side is built on a solid defence will never lose relevance.

But his faith in cautiousness is at risk of shackling rather than solidifying a Manchester City squad that boasts some phenomenal attacking talent. City have been so well drilled in keeping a strong centre that they appear to have lost an important quality that should come naturally alongside resilience – a flexibility in approach. The players simply don’t appear able to revert from plan A. Suffocate teams with possession football at home; hit them on the break away.

City’s intransigence was no more apparent then against Villa. Their tactics away from Eastlands have been predicated on one vital precursor – taking the lead. City remain cautious, patient and disciplined; they rely on a spark of creativity from one of their attacking gems. Once they have scored, they sit back and exploit the gaps inevitably left when the opposition chase the game.

But what happens when things go wrong; when City fall behind? The answer, wrought painfully clear in attack after laboured attack against Villa, is that they panic. The players stick to what they know best – attacking through a defence-minded central midfield. They just do it more often, and at a more frantic and frenetic pace. Faced with a team playing them at their own game, and doing it better, City had no response. Villa combated City’s predictable attacks with relative ease.

Why criticise Mancini when he has built a team that is making a bee-line for its stated aim of Champions League football? In fact, it is justifiable to hold the Italian to account on two important points:

Firstly, the Premier League is not just a results business. Fans pay a high price to be entertained, not to undergo an endurance test. Like it or not, football is a product, and Manchester City’s brand is more Amstrad than Apple. City’s campaign has been uneventful and forgettable, as though Mancini has an aim and is satisfied with achieving it; no more and no less.

Second, in this Championship-style free-for-all of a Premier League season, in which anyone can beat anyone, Manchester City have a genuine opportunity to win the title. With an effective defensive base already in place, why not take a few chances and try to turn a few bore draws into famous wins, or at the worst, heroic defeats? City won’t find greater belief from deep inside their comfort zone.

Ultimately, a team with a clear strategy may be well drilled and effective against weak opposition, but this can also become its achilles heel. Arsenal have discovered this to their cost during five trophy-less seasons in which rival teams have learnt that the Gunners can easily be silenced by packing the midfield.

Aston Villa demonstrated that Manchester City can, similarly, be stifled, even by a weaker opposition. City’s approach, dependent on home teams attacking them, is nullified when the home side pretends that it is playing away.

Having been so bluntly exposed by a Villa team that started the weekend in the relegation zone, Man City are at risk of facing similar tactics from many other teams that lack the ability to outplay them.

Mancini has a frightening array of  weapons at his disposal. Dzeko, Tevez, Silva – all possess enormous talent. It’s high time, for the sake of City, and for fans of the beautiful game, that he starts to use them.

Spurs searching for their killer instinct

Spurs performed wonderfully against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

At times, they completely overran their opponents, who remain undefeated in the league this season. They created the best attacking moves, and the best opportunities, but they could not land the knockout blow. Spurs are still lacking the killer instinct they urgently need.

This season has seen Spurs’ meteoric rise to the mantle of Europe’s great entertainers. Harry Redknapp has put his team permanently into the ‘gung-ho’ mode that even the most daring fan rarely flirts with on Football Manager. Top scorers in the Champions League; a stunning victory over the European champions; and in Gareth Bale, Spurs possess a frighteningly talented footballer.

But the success of the last 2 years is at risk of being a fleeting phenomenon. As much as their fans might like to deny it, Tottenham are not a big club. Two UEFA cup wins in 1972 and 1984, and a league and cup double in 1961 don’t hide the fact that this season is Spurs’ first outing in Europe’s elite club competition since the 1960s.

If they are to continue to attract players of similar quality to the mercurial Rafael Van Der Vaart, then retaining Champions League football is a must. Spurs currently sit 5th in the Premier League, where they have been for most of the season, just a point behind 4th-placed Chelsea. But creeping into the top four, and staying there for a few games, is a huge psychological boost to a team, in the same way that clubs at the wrong end of the league find a run in the bottom three akin to wading through mud. Spurs are at risk of developing an ‘almost-big club’ mindset.

Mindset is the key ingredient to a recipe of sustained success. Believe, and it becomes possible. To get into the champions league places and stay there requires quality and consistency, and consistency only comes with belief.

Undoubtedly, Spurs have quality. In Bale, Van Der Vaart and Luka Modric they arguably possess three world class players. The problem for Harry is that none of them are strikers. The current crop of frontmen doesn’t quite cut the mustard. Defoe blows hot and cold, but he is the very essence of consistency compared to Roman Pavyluchenco; Peter Crouch is a great ‘option’, but he is not a 20 goals a season guy; and Robbie Keane long since passed the peak of his powers.

Spurs had three good chances on Sunday – that was all – and they managed three decent efforts. But if they have pretensions to permanently join the private members club at the top of the table then they must take chances like these, especially when facing the toughest opposition.

Redknapp knows that he needs to bolster his frontline. He tried to sign Luis Fabiano in the summer, and is in a battle with a number of clubs for the signature of the prolific anti-hero of the world cup, Luis Suarez. Seal a deal and Spurs could have a set of strikers to rival any in the league.

That’s only half the battle though. Quality is no substitute for belief, and only a potent concoction of the two will take Spurs higher. Manchester United’s present players illustrate the point perfectly. A side not at its best by any means, but able to go 21 league games unbeaten simply because it plays in the colours of Manchester United; a club where success permeates every pore.

Redknapp is desperately trying to elevate his own side to this higher plane, sometimes risking ridicule to do so.

At every opportunity he has touted his team as title contenders, even after Sunday’s game when Spurs failed to beat a top four side at home for the third time this season; as soon as Wayne Rooney handed in a transfer request, Redknapp was publicly expressing an interest in signing him; he’s even talked up his side’s chances of winning the Champions League. One suspects that if Leo Messi wanted to leave Barcelona, Harry would be speaking up.

As fanciful as some of Redknapp’s claims may be, they are having the desired effect on his team – of making his players believe that they are now representing for one of Europe’s big boys. Even if Spurs lack a cutting edge, the confidence they have going into big games is there for all to see. They have outplayed Inter Milan, Manchester United and Manchester City at home this season. Their public displays of togetherness after winning games tell us that the players really believe this team is going places.

But if they are to consistently beat the best, they need more defining victories to cement the winning habit. The 3-2 victory away to Arsenal was an important step, as was a late home victory against Liverpool, and their demolition of the European champions. But other hoodoos need to be banished, which is why the extension of what is now a ten year wait for a league victory over Man Utd is damaging. Spurs need to learn to carry the confidence with which they so effusively start matches right through to the final whistle, and they need to learn fast.

Tottenham are in a race against time. One year out of the Champions League and it can be years before a club returns. Everton and Newcastle both found this out to their cost, and Liverpool are experiencing the same demoralising period of exile now. With Fifa’s Financial Fair Play regulations threatening the ability of a club to spend big, Tottenham need to become a regular top four side now so that they can secure vital revenue streams.

Redknapp seems to be building something potentially very special at Tottenham.A team that plays thunderbird football in a thrilling style, and a club that places emphasis on developing youth. Tottenham can be a force for good in a modern-day game tarnished by the mega-rich. But Spurs need just a little more belief, and a little more quality to push them into the top four. Perhaps Daniel Levy will deliver another transfer window present to his manager that could just take them there.

New Year’s Resolution: Show Some Integrity

Old Trafford; Sunday afternoon; FA Cup. King Kenny’s return to the fold in the Liverpool hotseat coincides with the game that the fans most want to win.

Two incidents mar the game: Dimitar Berbatov’s blatant dive to win an early and decisive penalty, and Steven Gerrard’s reckless two-footed assault on Michael Carrick’s shins. To all TV viewers then, not a penalty and a definite red card. Surely Alex Ferguson and Dalglish had no option but to agree? No, wait, of course not. Silly me.

You see, the thing is that managers believe they must defend their players at all costs. “It was a penalty… he was definitely clipped… the momentum is enough to bring the player down”, said Ferguson of his centre forward, who appeared to take two perfectly balanced steps beyond Daniel Agger’s dainty challenge before collapsing to the floor (or perhaps Ferguson would have us believe there was a sudden gust of wind).

Not to be outdone, Dalglish proclaimed “I cannot see that as a red card”, defending Gerrard’s two-footed ski-jump into the unfortunate Michael Carrick’s legs. Few would accuse Gerrard of malice, but even fewer could argue that the result was horribly over-zelous. Another weekend of football, and another herd of managers making ridiculous defences of their players.

What goes through a manager’s head when he steps out for the post-match interview? In order of importance it seems to go something like this:

1. Protect the players – because, really, how could grown men possibly accept any kind of criticism
2. Criticise the referee – even if you won 4-0, it’s better to get that in, just so that anything you weren’t happy about definitely wasn’t the fault of the team
3. The fans – should probably say something good about them, especially if your Roy Hodgson
4. The integrity of the game – erm, what’s that all about then?

For all but a select few managers, led by the very straight-talking Mick McCarthy, public criticism of their own players is taboo. It’s like politics; a politician must always defend the party line, whatever the circumstances. Party leaders will always try to defend their own ministers.

However, in politics the tag line now en vogue is ‘public accountability’. Politicians have woken up to the public distrust in government. Why should football managers be any different to party leaders? They represent large organisations that are reliant on the support of members of the public – the fans. Even Sheik Mansour’s empire building hobby would be nothing with an empty stadium.

But Premier League attendances are falling. Of the 17 teams that stayed in the division last year, nine have seen a drop in spectators this season. Disillusionment with the Premier League in England is rising. The recession combined with rising ticket prices hasn’t helped; neither did an awful England world cup campaign. But it’s more than that. Inflated player salaries and egos, blatant cheating – they are all going unchecked.

If fans’ trust in the game is to be restored then managers need to re-assess their role. It is not simply a results business; it’s a business of accountability too. Players accountable to no-one = disengaged and distanced fans. Criticism of players may alienate them temporarily, but a much bigger threat is the long-term alienation of the fans – the real lifeblood of the game.

A Premier League with half empty stadia is a far less attractive product to sell. Less TV money would mean a weaker league, with poorer quality players. It’s in the interests of everyone in the game to start showing some integrity; time for Arsene Wenger to start ‘seeing it’; time for a movement of Mick McCarthyism.

Chelsea’s Dying Breed

For a moment, it was the revival. Finally shaken back into life after a long winter hibernation, and led by their inspirational captain, the Blues were back. When John Terry seemingly secured a comeback reminiscent of the Mourinho epoch against Aston Villa on Sunday, from 2-1 down to 3-2 up in a matter of moments, the natural order had been restored.

But, just as natural selection dictates the survival of the fittest, this Chelsea side were again proved to be a dying breed. Another defining blow to the weakening dynasty was, fittingly, landed by one of the Premier League’s new kids on the block. Marc Albrighton stole in with a late header, securing a deserved point for a tenacious Aston Villa side.

After a flying start saw them open a five point lead at the top of the table after ten games, this looked like being another successful season. Since 2004, a team held together by a stable foundation of Lampard, Terry, Drogba, Cech has won ten trophies, including three league titles.

 

But a less endearing number ten now hangs over a once great side. That’s the number of points it has secured from the last ten league games, the worst run since 1999. A run that suggests this is not just a blip. This is the beginning of the end for a team with an average age of over 28.5. And my, how quickly the end seems to be coming.

 

The idea has always been that Ambramovich’s Chelsea would initially buy success before seeking to become self-sufficient through the recruitment of the world’s most talented young players. The arrival of a Director of Football, in the shape of Frank Arnesen, is testament to the long-term vision.

 

Now that the blockbuster generation is ageing, the time has come for Chelsea’s young guns to take over the front. This has clearly been Ancelloti’s plan (or perhaps his orders) as Chelsea have signed just 4 senior players under his management, whilst waving good bye to 21. But if the new generation is waiting in the wings then it is doing a fine job of missing its cues.

 

Josh McEachran is undoubtedly an immense talent, as, allegedly, is Gael Kakuta. But where are the rest? Daniel Sturridge is certainly not resembling a world-beater. Perhaps it is still too soon. But Abramovich has had seven years to implement his vision, and the lack of promising talent suggests that the youth setup has, as yet, simply failed to produce. More tellingly though, as the Chelsea pensioners labour on down the slippery slope from the premier league summit, is that Ancelloti does not appear to have the reserves, or at least any faith in them, to halt the slide. 

 

Any doubt that this Chelsea team is lacking motivation and energy should by now have been dismissed. Back to full strength and yet still unable to produce a convincing performance against an Aston Villa team engaged in its own skydive from the top 6. A team that hit 8 goals in a game four times last season now looks like it would be content with grinding out a few nervy one-nils. 

 

The problem for this set of players is that they have already won everything they can realistically hope to do. Any idea of securing the Champions League, their last remaining dream, is significantly dented by what appears to be the insurmountable challenge of Barcelona lying in wait for any side with its eyes on the prize. The greater problem for Ancelloti is that the young pretenders, due to arrive around about about now, are nowhere in sight. Clearly alarmed by this situation, Ancelloti has started to backtrack from his oft-repeated promise that Chelsea would not be signing any players in the January transfer window, conceding after Sunday’s game that “we need some players”.

 

Their are many similarities between the Chelsea and Aston Villa sides that played out a 3-3 draw at the weekend: two clubs tightening their belts; two teams enduring a fall from success; two organisations determined to shift the focus from external investment to the organic nurturing of young players. The difference is that on Sunday, one of Villa’s youngsters was ready to step up. Chelsea, meanwhile, only had the same familiar faces to call upon, wearing an increasingly familiar expression of dejection at the final whistle.