Nilis makes quick Villa impact
Soccernet.com
Luc Nilis made an instant impact on his Premiership debut but the
home side had to be content with a share of the spoils again at
Villa Park.
Nilis fired home in the 10th minute after collecting Alan Wright's
low cross as Villa attempted to gain revenge for their FA Cup final
defeat at the hands of the Blues.
But Gianluca Vialli's men had absorbed the lessons of their midweek
away loss to Bradford and fought back to equalise through Marcel
Desailly who headed home Dennis Wise's corner with David James,
recalled to the England squad, going walkabout.
James redeemed himself, however, in a low key second half producing
one excellent reaction save from Roberto Di Matteo before Tore
Andre Flo missed a great chance to snatch victory at the
death.
A point apiece left Villa down the wrong end of the table after two
draws this season while Chelsea missed the chance to go joint top
of the table, failing to take advantage of Manchester United's slip
up at West Ham.
Chelsea's problems had started before kick-off with Ed de Goey
picking up an injury in the warm-up and unable to start, Carlo
Cudicini taking his place.
The Italian was making only his second Premiership appearance for
the Blues but could not be held responsible for Villa's opener,
which was superbly taken by Nilis.
Alan Wright's low cross was mediocre at best but Nilis reacted
quickly, nipping in front of Frank Leboeuf - playing for the first
time this season after his row with manager Vialli - before turning
to thump a thunderous left foot shot past the helpless
goalkeeper.
Seconds earlier it had been the visitors who created the best
opening, Wise's clever free-kick releasing Celestine Babayaro to
the byline but with several players waiting the Nigerian's cross
drifted harmlessly out of play.
Nilis, in for the injured David Ginola in the only change to the
side that drew at Leicester on the opening day of the season, was
proving a real handful and brought a good save from Cudicini low
down at his near post after twisting and turning superbly in the
area.
At the other end James was fortunate to get away with a weak punch
under challenge from Christian Panucci and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink,
as the Blues belatedly came to life.
Chelsea's problems increased in the 25th minute when Mario Stanic
became the second apparently self-inflicted injury victim, the
Croatian looking to have twisted his knee as he attempted to turn
with the ball near the corner flag.
That brought Jody Morris into the action, but the midfielder had
little chance to influence the game before the visitors were level
just before the half hour.
Wise's long range effort was deflected wide by Gareth Southgate and
from the resulting corner Wise found Marcel Desailly arriving late
to head home as James came off his line but failed to get near to
the ball.
Flo then shrugged off the attentions of Turkish international Alpay
Ozalan to burst into the box but his ambitious effort on goal
curled well wide.
Southgate showed why he has been a target of Chelsea boss Vialli -
and now reportedly of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger as well - with a
well-timed block just inside the area as Flo shaped to shoot.
In a week littered with red and yellow cards some sensible
refereeing by Paul Durkin allowed the official to keep his cards in
his pocket until just before the interval, Hasselbaink with no
grounds for complaint after needlessly going through the back of
Hendrie after the ball had gone.
Nilis again got the better of Leboeuf in injury time but Desailly
just got back to cover and block the Belgian's shot on goal.
Di Matteo had the first attempt on goal in the second period, his
long range shot deflected wide for a corner that Villa comfortably
cleared.
Alpay then went close in the 51st minute, just directing his header
from Merson's corner the wrong side of the upright.
Two minutes later Chelsea had stand-in keeper Cudicini to thank for
keeping them level as he pulled off a superb reaction save from
Hendrie's close range attempted lob, after Desailly had failed to
clear Stone's through ball.
Desailly was then guilty of a petulant little kick at Merson after
the two tangled on the right touchline, the French international
aiming a back heel at the prone Villa player that the referee and
his assistant failed to spot.
To his credit Merson made nothing of the incident and had earlier
been applauded by the referee for indicating he had slipped and not
been brought down when trying to go round Babayaro.
The game had gone into a lull and Villa boss John Gregory attempted
to liven things up by introducing the pacy Julian Joachim for the
goalscorer Nilis on 70 minutes.
Hasselbaink then produced his first contribution of any note all
afternoon, a run and shot that James comfortably saved before he
was replaced by Eidur Gudjohnsen with quarter of an hour
left.
Chelsea were generally reduced to shooting from long range, Di
Matteo flashing a volley just wide and James easily gathering
Poyet's 30 yard effort.
The Villa keeper had to be at his best to keep out Di Matteo again
with nine minutes to go, James at full stretch to tip over the
Italian's first time effort from just inside the area.
The visitors looked the most likely to snatch a winner and Flo came
agonisingly close to doing just that with seconds to go, chipping
the keeper after being put through by Gudjohnsen only to see his
shot drift inches wide of the far post.
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Thank you for loving me baby
You'll always be the one who drives me crazy
I think this is a gift from God to have you here..
Thank you for loving me baby
I'll treasure all your love and all the things we share..
And I wanna tell you, how much I love you.....
