Aston Villa v Chelsea player ratings: Jack Grealish and Bertrand Traore both get 8; Mason Mount 5, Timo Werner 4

Villa end season with 2-1 win at Villa Park but Chelsea still hold on to top four thanks to Tottenham's victory over Leicester

ASTON VILLA PLAYER RATINGS: Emiliano Martínez, 7 – An impressive campaign from the former Arsenal man, but nothing impressive was required of him in this one aside from a remarkable save to deny Ben Chilwell late on. Hs first-half involvement was restricted to a handful of routine stops despite Chelsea’s dominance of the ball. Getty Images

Liam Wheeler

May 23, 2021

Aston Villa signed off their Premier League season with a hard-fought 2-1 win against Chelsea in front of 10,000 fans on Sunday.

Bertrand Traore's scuffed finish and Anwar El Ghazi's penalty either side of halftime gave Villa a 2-0 lead, before Ben Chilwell halved the deficit with 20 minutes remaining. Chelsea's hopes of a late equaliser suffered a setback when captain Cesar Azpilicueta was issued a straight red card for his challenge on Jack Grealish.

Ben Chilwell and Jacob Ramsey, left, battle for the ball during the Premier League game between Aston Villa and Chelsea at Villa Park. AP

Chelsea secure top four despite defeat at Aston Villa as Tottenham fight back to beat Leicester

It was a game that Chelsea largely dominated in terms of possession and territory but Villa defended stoically and stayed dangerous on the break to pose plenty of problems.

The result could have ended Chelsea's hopes of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League. Luckily for the Blues, Tottenham fought back from 2-1 down to beat Leicester City 4-2 at the King Power Stadium to ensure Thomas Tuchel's side will be playing top-tier European club football next season.

Reflecting on the performances at Villa Park, Liam Wheeler has provided his player ratings in the photo gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.