Chelsea manager Avram Grant is counting on a much-improved performance from his players when they go out to protect their long unbeaten record at home against Aston Villa on Wednesday. Villa have already beaten Chelsea once in the Premier League this season, a performance three months ago at Villa Park which Grant recalled as poor.
While he is mindful of Villa's abilities, Grant is determined the Blues will rise to the challenge of keeping their unbeaten home record intact. "We lost against Villa the last time we met them," he recalled. "We didn't play well, even though we played with all of our squad - so we know they are a good, organised team with a good manager.
Grant is hailing Chelsea's chaotic Christmas fixture congestion as "exciting," despite an injury crisis which threatens to sour his team's festivities. Chelsea have three games in a week - most likely without first-choice goalkeeper Petr Cech, despite the encouraging news from scans on his injured hip yesterday.
Captain John Terry and striker Didier Drogba are also sidelined, but despite the injury setbacks Grant admits he enjoys one of English football's quirkier traditions.
"This is the only country in the world that plays over Christmas," he added. It was at Christmas last year that Chelsea's chances of a third successive title were blown apart by three successive draws.
Remarkably, the same situation threatens injury-hit Chelsea again. With Chelsea six points adrift of leaders Arsenal and five points behind second-placed Manchester United, a repeat of last season's loss of form would kill off Chelsea's championship dreams.
For now, Grant is comfortable with Chelsea's third position in the league - and is refusing to discount Liverpool from the title race even though they are another four points off the pace.
"I think it's unusual to have four teams fighting for the title in December," he said. "All four teams won their first game of the Christmas programme, so for you and us it will be an exciting title race this season. "For us, six points is a gap we can make up. "We just need to concentrate on winning our games because at this stage of the season there is not one team who will win every game from now until the end."
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