John Carew has issued a bullish message ahead of tomorrow's pivotal meeting with Chelsea by claiming that Aston Villa have already demonstrated they are the "better team" this season and are intent on proving it. . The striker used the league table to support his argument and pointedly suggested that Villa's success highlights how team spirit can be more valuable than having a squad replete with star names.

"They all know what it's about and we do as well," said Carew, who is confident of a victory today that would open a five-point gap over Chelsea. "It's a big game and they are closest to us now. But there's a reason why we are two points ahead of them – we have been better than them this season. I think we are going to go out and show that. In the long term we have been the better team. That's why we are ahead of them and that's how we should think about it."

The Norwegian's positive mood was also reflected by his manager, Martin O'Neill, who claimed there was "plenty of confidence" within the Villa squad and added: "We think we can win." The Northern Irishman made similar remarks before Villa were comprehensively outplayed at Stamford Bridge in October and later admitted he was "daft" to believe his side could beat Chelsea. Much has changed since them, however. "We've won a lot of matches and I think we have picked up," he said.

The table illustrates as much, with Villa in a lofty third place and unbeaten in 13 league games before Chelsea's visit. Carew believes that the run of form shows that a galvanised dressing room can be worth more than a multimillion pound squad. There had been reports of divisions within the Chelsea ranks before Luiz Felipe Scolari was dismissed. Carew says the mood could not be better in the Villa camp and that there is no fear about taking on Guus Hiddink's side.

"Why should we be worried?" said the striker, who is expected to start in preference to Emile Heskey in attack. "Look at the table. It's not always about the stars; it's about the team. Villa is very strong as a group. I'm not talking [just] about the players but the fans. Villa is a big family and everyone supports each other and we've created a brilliant group."

O'Neill, who refuses to entertain talk of his own side mounting a title challenge because of their lack of experience, believes Chelsea must secure their first victory in 10 years at Villa Park to have any chance of overhauling Manchester United. Even then he predicts that Hiddink's side would need to remain unbeaten for the rest of the campaign and drop no more than four points.

"I think Chelsea need to win to stay in the race, with Manchester United having completed the same number of games and opened up a five-point gap at the top and another five points on Chelsea," said O'Neill. "I think they will say that to stand any chance they have to be unbeaten in their last 13 matches and probably win 11. But, if Chelsea needed rejuvenating, the calibre of someone like Guus Hiddink should generate that."

O'Neill accepts that much of the hype around the game will surround Hiddink's arrival but he also made it clear that the stakes are just as high for Villa. "Our need to win the game is as great as Chelsea's," he said. "But I am not so sure a defeat will knock the stuffing out of us. I still think we could pull it around. It is a tough run-in but I don't think we will lose out through courage, either moral or physical."