Aston Villa continued their fine form in the Premier League after securing a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
The visitors struggled to create much during a first half which the Blues dictated, but after holding out until close to half-time, Reece James delivered an incisive swerving corner that was turned in by a Joao Pedro touch.
Villa’s struggles continued up until a minute before the hour mark when manager Unai Emery introduced Ollie Watkins as part of a triple substitution. Watkins made an instant impact and levelled the score within four minutes of coming on before heading in the winner from a Youri Tielemans corner in the 84th minute.
Watkins said: “An amazing win. To come on and score two goals, it’s a great feeling, but to keep up this run and beat Chelsea. It’s amazing. As a striker, you want to be scoring every game. I feel like I’ve had some good performances this year but maybe not at the standards I set for myself. I can use this as a marker and push on from here.”
Chelsea have now won just two games of their last eight across all competitions. “It’s always disappointing to lose at home. We dominated 60-65 minutes of the game. They get one and the dynamic of the game changes. We have to look at ourselves. We’re super disappointed,” said Chelsea captain James. “It’s two slight errors from us and we got punished.”
The Blues have now dropped more points (11) from winning positions than anyone in the Premier League.
Chelsea ratings
Robert Sanchez – 6: Distributed the ball well and made a number of saves. Unlucky on the first goal from Watkins after making initial contact. Bizarrely gave away a free kick for carrying the ball and slipping outside the box.
Marc Cucurella – 5: Not as influential as usual. Had a chance on the break to play in a forward but went for the safe option.
Trevoh Chalobah – 6: Pressed up to win the ball back high, challenged aggressively for Aston Villa's long balls.
Benoit Badiashile – 5: Made a key tackle on Morgan Rogers in the first half to prevent a big chance, but gave away possession for the first goal and struggled against sub Watkins.
Reece James – 7: Almost scored directly from a corner that turned into an assist for Joao Pedro. Tested the goalkeeper again with a mis-hit that troubled Villa's Martinez.
Enzo Fernandez – 6: Tidy in possession and a threat going forward, but should have done better with his chance in the first half.
Moises Caicedo – 5: Aggressive when tackling but sometimes untidy before being booked. Not as dominant in midfield as usual.
Alejandro Garnacho – 6: One of Chelsea’s brightest early on, and always looking to beat his marker. Created a chance in the 17th minute with a ball towards the backpost. Quiet after the break before being replaced.
Cole Palmer – 5: Involved in Chelsea’s brightest spells with positivity on the ball to attack defenders directly. Produced an impressive nutmeg on Emiliano Buendia. Unhappy when substituted.
Pedro Neto – 5: Struggled to make an impact against Ian Maatsen. Kept trying, but was crowded out by Aston Villa’s defensive numbers.
Joao Pedro – 7: Impressed with his movement and after almost opening the scoring with a flick that was saved by Martinez, he got the final touch to James’ corner to give Chelsea the lead.
Chelsea subs:
Malo Gusto (for Cucurella, 69’) – 4: Did very little to challenge Watkins despite spotting his run for the second goal.
Liam Delap (for Pedro, 69’) – 5: Booked within minutes for late challenge. Ineffective when introduced.
Jamie Gittens (for Garnacho, 69’) – 6: Tried to make things happen on the left flank when looking to weave between players, but was often crowded out.
Estevao (for Palmer, 72’) – 5: Couldn’t find space to make an impact when coming on for Palmer. Drifted inside to try and make things happen.
Aston Villa ratings
Emiliano Martinez – 6: Not convincing enough when conceding the opener, but made enough saves to keep Aston Villa in the game.
Ian Maatsen – 7: Tracked Neto well and was resolute down the left. Came close to scoring with a good effort that stung the hands of keeper Sanchez.
Ezri Konsa – 6: Plugged gaps and positioned himself astutely when Chelsea had the ball out wide to provide cover for his full-back.
Victor Lindelof – 6: Made a crucial challenge on Pedro to deny a big chance in the first half. Organised Aston Villa’s defence well.
Matty Cash – 6: Fared reasonably well across the match, but a poor challenge on Garnacho saw him pick up a yellow which means he misses the next game versus Arsenal.
Youri Tielemans – 7: Tielemans could have been more decisive during transition at times, but he stepped up his performance after Watkins was introduced, and picked up the assist for the winner.
Boubacar Kamara – 6: Prevented play from building up in central areas. Battled hard and picked up a yellow card. Missed a chance in the 60th minute when connecting with Watkins’ pass.
Emiliano Buendia – 5: Sometimes tried to be too clever, giving away the ball cheaply in the 42nd minute with skill when he had players in front. Replaced by Watkins before the hour mark.
John McGinn – 6: Despite not making much impact in attacking areas, his challenge to divert Palmer’s cross out for a corner stopped an almost certain goal that would have put Chelsea 2-0 up in the second half.
Morgan Rogers – 7: Struggled to get going during a first half in which he made a mess of a good opportunity in the fifth minute, but he was buoyed by Aston Villa’s triple substitution, and played in Watkins who eventually scored the equaliser.
Donyell Malen – 4: Ineffective while leading the line and struggled to get a touch of the ball. Withdrawn for Sancho in the 59th minute.
Aston Villa subs:
Ollie Watkins (for Buendia, 58’) – 9: Immediately made a chance for Kamara, scored the equaliser and then expertly picked up space to head in the winner. A superb substitute and match-winning performance.
Jadon Sancho (for Malen, 59’) – 6: Took impressive care of the ball when easing his way past challenges. Forced a save from Sanchez in the 88th minute.
Amadou Onana (for McGinn, 59’) – 6: Played a part in the equaliser after setting the press from deep before helping win possession. Assured on the ball and only gave it away once.
Lucas Digne (for Maatsen, 83’) – N/A: Introduced in the 83rd minute for Maatsen. Tested Sanchez with a direct free kick that required a save.
Lamare Bogarde (for Kamara, 83’) – N/A: On for Kamara, who had picked up a booking. Could have been more accurate with his passing.
