Engelska tidningarna efter Aston Villa´s imponerande seger över Chelsea.
Här är lite urklipp ur de Engelska tidningarna
Telegraph:
Martin O'Neill is a dervish of the dug-out, a manager who kicks every ball with his team, so it is little surprise to find him fashioning an Aston Villa side very much in his own playing image. Belief, hard work and plenty of width characterise O'Neill's Villa, who boast a touch more pace in their busy feet.
Such uplifting qualities, and goals from Zat Knight and Gabriel Agbonlahor, brought Villa their first success over a top-four side in three years, sending Chelsea spiralling to their first Premier League defeat since January.
The Holte End shouted themselves hoarse with delight at the embarrassment befalling John Terry and Chelsea, who simply could not break down O'Neill's magnificent defence even when the visitors switched to 3-2-5 late on. As loud as they were long, the hosts' celebrations were thoroughly justified. Villa's owner, Randy Lerner, sported a smile as broad as the Mississippi as the Holte End's songs of praise rolled around this famous old ground.
Man of the match
Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)
Scored his team's second goal
Had three shots on target
Completed 79% of his passes
Independent:
Fourth place was not exactly what Roman Abramovich had in mind when he agreed with Jose Mourinho that Chelsea needed to reinvent themselves as the Premier League's most entertaining side. Beaten by Aston Villa yesterday, and with a team struggling to score goals, Mourinho has a lonely week ahead to contemplate just how his side are to re-launch a season that went badly awry yesterday.
Abramovich himself, walked out of the directors' box seconds after Gabriel Agbonlahor hit Villa's second goal with just two minutes remaining for Chelsea's first Premier League defeat since January.
With John Terry playing centre-forward and the Chelsea defence in tatters it was certainly entertaining – but not in the way that Abramovich had hoped. That should take nothing away from Martin O'Neill's side, who were relentless after coming under pressure in the early stages and deserved their win.
There was a goal on his Villa debut from Zat Knight and, against a Chelsea defence that never looked settled, a brilliant performance from Ashley Young, included in Steve McClaren's England squad today, on the left wing. To make it even worse for Mourinho, Didier Drogba had to be helped from the pitch with a leg injury in the closing minutes. Without Frank Lampard they never looked quite the same threat in front of goal.
Mirror:
Zat's the best way to enjoy a debut.
Zat Knight's Aston Villa career got off to almost the worst start imaginable when he was arrested by armed police on a drugs raid but the giant defender turned in a mind-blowing display on his debut.
Knight, 27, was released without charge after protesting his innocence - and yesterday justified Martin O'Neill's decision to hand him a first start with a commanding performance at centre-back and a goal.
The former Fulham skipper, who has two England caps, wasted no time masterminding the hosts' defence with a series of verbal instructions to his new defensive colleagues.
Knight's heroics ensured the Villa new boy was an instant hit among the home fans in the stands where he once stood as a teenager himself worshipping the likes of Paul McGrath.
The star grew up a couple of miles from Villa Park and once invaded the pitch as a fan when the team knocked Inter Milan out of the UEFA Cup in a penalty shoot-out.
Yesterday was Knight's first occasion legally on the club's turf in claret and blue and this time he didn't put a foot wrong all afternoon against Mourinho's starstudded former champions.
Guardian:
It was the day when the Premier League season began to make good on its promise. The expectation that the major clubs will have to endure distress more frequently was fulfilled as a mediocre Chelsea, stifled and stopped, were left last night as sullen occupiers of fourth place in the table. All that rose steeply for the visitors was the frustration that Martin O'Neill causes in them. This was Chelsea's first defeat in the league since they were beaten 2-0 at Anfield in January.
Villa were resilient and, ultimately, deadly. O'Neill's selection was intriguing, since it had a very adventurous air yet also required those men of attacking intent to get behind the ball whenever Chelsea were in possession. John Carew alone had the luxury of staying upfield. As on too many occasions last season, the visitors' destiny lay with Didier Drogba alone.
The striker is a phenomenon, yet he was just about shackled at Villa Park. The efforts of Laursen epitomised the persistence when, in the 87th minute, he recovered to tackle Drogba after he seemed to have broken away on the right. Moments later, defeat for Chelsea was confirmed.
Ashley Young, the surprise selection in the England squad, at long last had scope to run freely on Villa's left and his driven ball across was turned into the net by Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Man of the match Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa)
Times:
Abramovich scuttles from scene of defeat.
The sing-along for the travelling fans before the game proved eerily appropriate. Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis got the vistors going. By the end, however, speculation surrounded the likelihood of one being planted between the shoulder blades of José Mourinho, if he fails to improve on this.
Roman Abramovich does not say much. Yesterday he did not need to. His exit two minutes from time after Gabriel Agbonlahor put the match beyond Chelsea’s reach was a speech in itself. Face like thunder, Abramovich headed for the exit as his team limped towards journey’s end behind him, pausing only to give the most cursory handshake of congratulation to Doug Ellis, the former Aston Villa chairman.
Ashley Young marked his call-up to the England squad with an outstanding performance but it was John Carew, in the role of Didier Drogba, that left Chelsea’s defence uncommonly rattled. John Terry had terrible problems with him early on, while debutant Alex looked worryingly short of the combative qualities that are essential for Premier League success. In many ways, this is mitigation for Mourinho. It is hard to blame him for Chelsea’s failings, when so many of his judgment calls are being proven right.
He was believed to be resistant to the purchase of Alex last season, considering him short of the level required, and Juliano Belletti was not his first-choice right back, coming into the picture only when the move for Daniel Alves had collapsed. On both men, his instincts appear correct. Neither Alex nor Belletti impressed on their debuts.
Unlike Villa’s new signing Zat Knight, scorer of the first goal after 47 minutes. His header from Gareth Barry’s corner, which eluded Petr Cech and Ashley Cole on the goalline, revealed just how vulnerable Chelsea can be when challenged. They demonstrated a damning absence of invention when asked to chase the game.
Mourinho tried all his tricks, throwing on Joe Cole, Claudio Pizarro and Salomon Kalou and even ordering Terry to go up front but to no avail. By the time Joe Cole hit a post with a shot from the left it was deep in injury time and Chelsea needed two goals for a point, not one.
The Sun:
FORGET Zat Knight — this tale is straight out of the Arabian Nights. First the starry-eyed Brummie lad signs for his home club in a £3.5million deal.Then he finds himself at the centre of a dawn drugs bust at the house he is staying in — just hours before being unveiled at a Press conference following his switch from Fulham.And, finally, he becomes an instant hero with a debut goal to put the skids under Chelsea.This is the guy who scores once in a blue moon too — very much barren Knight usually.Yet when Gareth Barry sent over a 47th-minute corner, there was a certain inevitability about the way 6ft 5in Knight shrugged off Mikel John Obi and headed the ball past Petr Cech.The shaved bonce raced away, chased by a smiling pack of pals, not quite sure how to celebrate only the fourth League goal of his career.If Martin O’Neill has his way, there will be plenty more partying after one of the Big Four was finally put to the sword.
