The heat was on big time at Villa Park yesterday and it had got to be that way. Aston Villa and Chelsea were taking on each other and both had a lot to play for.
It’s not that the result of the game was going to change the positions of the two teams significantly in the points table, but the game had its own importance.
Chelsea had not earned a win in the last 5 games that they had played at the venue. So, they were desperate for win.
For Villa, it was about getting a goal. They had not been able to shake the net for the last 7 games and they were starting to get a bit restless about it.
It was an intense atmosphere out there and there came a moment when the two groups on the sidelines had a very animated verbal go at each other. The Villa boss Paul Lambert looked very angry with something that’s said to him. Lambert later on said that he believed it was some sort of abusive comment which he did not get properly as he had no idea of the Portuguese language.
In the press conference after the game, Lambert told one website “It was not a nice comment made by one of the guys sitting there in that dugout. Jose did not say anything though.”
When asked if he is relieved that his team finally gets the ball in between the two sticks, Lambert said, “Yes absolutely. It was very important for our self belief. We had to break the ice somehow. Sports are all about momentum. Once you start having a good run, you can go a long way.”
The Lions are now a couple of places up from the danger zone, at no. 16 in the table.