Goal-happy Villa take on Chelsea juggernaut

Days after hitting eight goals in a League Cup tie, Aston Villa will try to become the first side to score against Chelsea this season when they visit the champions on Saturday.

Villa's hitmen came good in the second half against fourth division Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday, scoring seven times to turn around a highly embarrassing 3-1 deficit at halftime.

David O'Leary's side have been less spectacular in their league campaign to date with six points from as many games.

But their Irish manager believes Villa will rise to the challenge against a side who have won all six games, scoring 12 goals and conceding none, and who opened their Champions League campaign by beating Anderlecht 1-0.

"We will take the game to Chelsea," O'Leary told Villa's Web site. "I believe in an attacking style of play where we move the ball well and create chances.

"We might not win games at times, but I think people go away saying Aston Villa try to play good football.

"It is no coincidence that in the last two years I have been at Villa, crowds have been the highest for 20 years."

Chelsea will be out to please the Stamford Bridge crowd before leaving for a double-header on Merseyside where they play Liverpool twice in the space of five days, between Champions and Premier League duty.

Manchester United, seven points behind Chelsea but with a game in hand, are at home to Blackburn Rovers with a warning ringing in their ears from midfielder Paul Scholes.

Scholes believes United's title bid will already be over if they fail to beat Blackburn and Fulham in their next two games and they can expect a battle from Mark Hughes's Rovers.

Hughes scored over 160 goals in more than 450 appearances for United during two spells there and is relishing another return to Old Trafford.

"I love coming back, even if it's just going back to watch games," Hughes says in Saturday's United Review.

"It's a special place. I was very fortunate to spend such a long time with United. I'm always grateful."

LITTLE GRATITUDE

Little of that gratitude will be on show during the game, as Rovers look to use their combative style of play to disturb a United side who are struggling with injuries.

In defence, Argentine left back Gabriel Heinze is out for most of the season with cruciate ligament damage, central defender Wes Brown is unavailable and right back Gary Neville is still struggling with a groin injury.

In midfield, skipper Roy Keane's absence due to a broken bone in his foot has meant an unlikely place for striker Alan Smith in front of the defence, while Quinton Fortune is out.

Welsh forward Craig Bellamy's first two goals for Rovers in their midweek League Cup win over Huddersfield Town will meanwhile have buoyed the Rovers dressing room.

Third in the table, United are a point behind surprise packet Charlton Athletic, who are away to West Bromwich Albion.

Arsenal travel to West Ham United for a London derby without striker and captain Thierry Henry but with a new-found goalscorer in Sol Campbell.

The central defender marked his league debut this season by heading both goals when Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 on Monday, following a patchy start to the campaign.

Liverpool are away to Birmingham City, Manchester City visit Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, dumped out of the League Cup by fourth division Grimsby Town in midweek, are at home to Fulham in another London derby on Monday.