Aston Villa looking to do the double over Chelsea

Dec 24 2007 By Bill Howell

ASTON Villa go chasing their first league double over Chelsea since April 1990, with Martin O'Neill insisting they will not be daunted by fortress Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have stretched their remarkable unbeaten home league run to 71 matches, beating Liverpool's all-time record of 63 games between February 1978 and January 1981, and have not lost at home since Arsenal beat them in February 2004.

"To do the double over Chelsea would be gigantic for us," said O'Neill ahead of the Boxing Day clash. "They're a quality side and to beat them would be big.

"We should be going there with plenty of confidence and we will take them on."

Villa's away record and the fact that Avram Grant's side are without Didier Drogba and John Terry should make for a competitive match. O'Neill added: "We're capable of taking the game to them and we'll cause them problems, as they will us.

"We should be really optimistic because of our away form. We don't go away from home thinking 'we'll sit and play this game just outside our penalty area' - far from it.

"Our away record is up there with any of the sides in the top eight."

Villa beat Chelsea 2-0 in September and drew down in London last season, as well as both league games last term.

But O'Neill knows his side must be at full pelt.

"We proved we can compete against them when we beat them - even if we were at full stretch that day - as we have been for a number of weeks whereas the great sides can have a 10 or 15-minute lull," O'Neill said.

"Look at Arsenal against Tottenham - they got a bit of luck with the penalty, but you knew Tottenham would be punished for it.

"We've had to work so hard for every single thing we've got this season, and sometimes, much, much harder than the opposition.

"I might be wrong, but that's what it seems like. But I couldn't fault the team's commitment."

O'Neill saw Villa slump 4-0 in the Carling Cup at Stamford Bridge last November but it was a defeat not helped by key injuries to two major players.

"When we went there they were in full flow and Gareth Barry and Martin Laursen got injured before half-time," said O'Neill.

"We had to make adjustments at half-time and they got a really easy goal, which we should have cleared and dealt with better down on the touchline.

"Instead the ball was knocked into our penalty area and Frank Lampard squeezed it into the net for 1-0 and with losing those players, it was hard.

"But we bounced back by going up to Everton and winning there."

Meanwhile, Villa's game at Liverpool on Saturday, January 19, has been switched to Monday, January 21 (8pm).