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16th vs. 18th doesn't sound like a very exciting match does it? What if I rephrased that. Reigning champions vs. one of England's most successful clubs. That sounds better. Let's go with that instead.
Or how about just Chelsea vs. Aston Villa. Usually matches against a 16th-place side are opportunities. They're chances to go and snatch a win away from the comfy confines of Villa Park. But usually 16th-place sides aren't Chelsea. Usually they're not woefully underachieving clubs who should probably be in the league's top three. So there is cause for concern here.
But then again, Villa have been woefully underachieving as well. They're certainly not as talented as are Chelsea, but if they can regress to the mean first, this might actually be a chance to pick up a stunning victory. It couldn't possibly move us up in the standings, but a win today could close the gap between us and the other side of that relegation line.
So let's do this. Let's shock the world and beat Chelsea. If you want to get caught up, all of our coverage can be found right here. And below you'll find everything you need to follow along live. Be sure to stick around in the comments to join our live thread, too!
Location: Stamford Bridge, London, England
Kick-off time: 3 PM GMT, 10 AM Eastern, 7 AM Pacific
Available TV: USA Network (US), NBC Universo (US)
Available streaming: NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Deportes En Vivo Extra, Chelsea TV Online,
Available radio: Absolute Radio (UK), AVTV (subscription required), Westwood One Sports (US)
For listings in other countries, check out LiveSoccerTV.com.
Aston Villa squad
Team news: Confirmed Villa side to face Chelsea this afternoon at Stamford Bridge, kick-off 3pm. #AVFC #CFC #CHEAVL pic.twitter.com/XVtejCNKmn
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) October 17, 2015
Chelsea squad
Chelsea team v Aston Villa: Begovic; Baba, Terry (c), Zouma, Azpilicueta; Loftus-Cheek, Ramires; Wilian, Fabregas, Pedro; Diego Costa. #CFC
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 17, 2015
Chelsea subs v Aston Villa: Blackman, Cahill, Matic, Mikel, Oscar, Hazard, Remy. #CFC
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 17, 2015
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