A year ago, Aston Villa ensured Frank Lampard’s season ended in disappointment. A play-off final loss condemned Derby to another year in the Championship, though not their bright young manager, who was soon poached.
For half an hour or so, this had the makings of an unwelcome sequel for the Chelsea manager. Villa were winning again, Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League football receding. Lampard picked the wrong team at Wembley last May and the same allegation could have been levelled again.
Then came the two-minute turnaround, giving Chelsea a five-point cushion in fourth place; as only Wolves of their immediate rivals have won so far, it became a very good few days. Yet it threatened to be a missed opportunity until a fightback instigated by Lampard himself, but from a combination of Plan B and Plan A as a substitute and a starter scored.
The equaliser came from Christian Pulisic, who had been benched and who brought energy as well as a clinical touch. But the winner was delivered by Olivier Giroud, who Lampard had preferred to top scorer Tammy Abraham.
Each choice was ultimately vindicated and if not all of Lampard’s moves paid off – Ruben Loftus-Cheek was understandably underwhelming on his first appearance for 13 months – he showed the decisiveness to change the game. A relative rookie in the dugout went a long way to making his season a success.
For Villa, it amounted to a cruel, potentially costly two minutes. After Kortney Hause put them ahead, they were out of the bottom three in the virtual table. After Chelsea’s swift double, they were back in it.
Dean Smith’s side showed organisation and determination and look to have found a more resilient formula than they had in March but the reality is they have only taken two points from a possible 45 against the top-half teams and their run-in is littered with opponents from the upper part of the standings.
Controversy had overshadowed a promising performance against Sheffield United and they built on those foundations. Villa retained their shape, kept men behind the ball and challenged Chelsea to break them down.
If it seemed incongruous that John Terry is their assistant manager while they compiled the division’s worst defensive record, there was more of a structure: plenty of men behind the ball and the lone striker Keinan Davis so isolated he was distinctly lonely.
Anwar El Ghazi made the most of limited opportunities and Villa seized the lead. It is an understatement to say it was against the run of play in a first half where Chelsea had 77 percent of possession. But they have conceded too many goals – as many as Burnley – and often in damning fashion.
When Douglas Luiz curled a cross to the far post, El Ghazi was left unmarked as he slid in to shoot and, while Kepa Arrizabalaga saved, Hause swivelled to score from the rebound.
Arrizabalaga had saved well from El Ghazi earlier: this time, however, he probably could have done better and he is yet to get remotely close to justifying his status as the most expensive goalkeeper in footballing history.
Before then, the quicksilver Mason Mount had tested Orjan Nyland with a stinging drive from long range and troubled Villa with his elusive movement but Chelsea had too little incision. Bringing on Pulisic, for his first appearance since New Year’s Day, and Ross Barkley amounted to decisiveness.
After an hour of impotence, Chelsea turned their incessant possession into penetration in two minutes. Cesar Azpilicueta was the common denominator. The captain delivered a delightful cross that Pulisic met at the far post.
“I don’t think I hit it perfectly,” said the American, but he scored anyway. Then the right-back Azpilicueta materialised on the left to cut the ball back for Giroud.
He turned and defeated Nyland with a shot that took a touch off Conor Hourihane. Azpilicueta, who had threatened an equaliser himself when he headed wide, was excellent and won his duel against Jack Grealish.
The Villa captain’s late booking was a sign of his frustration and his side have a solitary point from six games. Hause and the Villa substitute Jota missed chances to equalise and now Lampard may be sending them to the Championship.
