22/01/2000  Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 0
 
Chelsea and Aston Villa have the worst scoring records in 
the top-half of the Premiership table and it was painfully 
evident why as they again misfired in a goalless draw at Villa 
Park.

Chelsea used their fourth different strike partnership in 
as many games but after a handful of early chances, with 
George Weah hitting the post, it was not until the final 
stages that keeper David James had to produce two top-class 
saves to deny the centre-forward again.

Otherwise, they largely flattered to deceive as they have 
done all too often this season in the Premiership and suffered 
yet another setback to their hopes of finishing in the top 
three.

This is a ground where they have won on their four previous 
visits without conceding a goal but a fifth victory would have 
been an injustice to a Villa side who battled hard and wasted 
their own fair share of clear chances.

At least both sides stretched their unbeaten runs but, then 
again, given their paltry goalscoring records in the League 
this season - Villa have scored just 22 times in 23 games 
while Chelsea have just nine more goals - a goalless draw was 
hardly surprising.

Weah apart, none of the seven players who played up front 
at some point during the game looked like breaking the 
deadlock, although Paul Merson's approach work and set-piece 
delivery did cause Chelsea problems.

Having been desperately searching for the right strike 
partnership over recent weeks, Blues boss Gianluca Vialli this 
time opted to pair Weah with Chris Sutton from the start for 
the first time.

Just in behind them was Gustavo Poyet, yet it was Jody 
Morris who set up the Liberian international - clad in white 
boots to complement Chelsea's white kit - to drift past George 
Boateng only to scuff his shot wide.

In a scrappy opening spell, the closest that Villa came to 
scoring was when Blues keeper Ed De Goey allowed a pass-back 
by Emerson Thome to slip under his foot.

The Dutchman only just recovered in time to stop the whole 
of the ball crossing the goal-line and he was also indebted to 
promising youngster Jon Harley for deflecting a close-range 
shot by Ugo Ehiogu over the bar.

The normally reliable keeper was having a torrid time as 
his weak punch then fell to Paul Merson, whose drive deflected 
to Benito Carbone but the striker shot wide from just four 
yards out.

At least Chelsea full-back Harley, who is supposedly 
seeking a large increase to a meagre wage packet, was 
strengthening his case though as he also clipped the Villa bar 
with a long-range lob.

That was the second time that Chelsea hit the woodwork for 
Weah had also gone round the challenge of Ehiogu and placed 
his shot wide of keeper James only for the ball to strike the 
outside of the far post.

However, even though there was increasingly more space to 
capitalise upon, neither side able to put the finishing touch 
to the isolated chances that were being created.

Sutton struck a half-volley with some venom but it was 
blocked by Gareth Barry - with the centre-forward's appeals 
for handball going unheeded - and Sutton was himself hit in 
the face by a ferocious shot from Gareth Southgate.

Indeed, there was an element of shadow-boxing about the 
proceedings and Darius Vassell's most immediate impact as a 
half-time replacement for Julian Joachim was to catch Frank 
Leboeuf's thigh.

The Frenchman, never one to keep quiet about his feelings 
that the Premiership is too violent, limped off to be replaced 
by Jes Hogh while Steve Watson also went off after injuring 
himself as he headed a free-kick just wide.

Vassell was himself the next casualty as he was stretchered 
off with a hamstring injury and any semblance of quality was 
disappearing as quickly as players to the treatment room.

Gianfranco Zola and Tore Andre Flo were therefore called 
upon with 16 minutes left but after Merson had volleyed wide, 
it was Ehiogu who had a practically open goal in front of him 
only to head into the ground and wide.

Ian Taylor also claimed a penalty late on but Dennis Wise 
felt he had dived and had an angry confrontation with the 
Villa midfielder before he was dragged away by Merson.

While Villa continued to press forward in the final stages, 
it was actually Chelsea who came closest to snatching a late 
win as James needed to be at his most agile to tip a header 
from Weah over the bar.

The keeper also produced a wonderful reaction save to deny 
the forward as he bore down menacingly on goal.

It was just one of those days in front of goal - and 
Chelsea and Villa are having too many of them.