Aston Villa extend their winning run of games to 11 the most in the club’s history. Chelsea dominated in the first half. Unai Emery then saw the opportunity to bring on substitution Ollie Watkins who turned the game on its head.
The game started with a very high intensity. The Villains had to work hard to keep Chelsea at bay. The visitors had a slow start to the game with them absorbing a lot of Chelsea pressure well. Aston Villa could not escape their own half.
Within the first 20 minutes of the game Chelsea dominated possession and won the midfield battle. Chelsea managed to create an abundance of half chances at the start of the first half. Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto firing towards the Aston Villa goal on a few occasions.
Villa’s frustrations then became clear when Matty Cash picked up a yellow card in the 29th minute. This means he is out for next week’s clash against league leaders Arsenal.
The goal for Chelsea then came in the 37th minute scored by Joao Pedro as he nudges in Reece James’s corner. A goal for Chelsea felt like it was coming and their attacking prowess paid off.
Chelsea dominated the first half and Aston Villa looked to have no outlet up front. Only having three touches in the Chelsea box something had to change in the second half.
Chelsea continue the second half how they left off with their relentless pressure. Early chances from palmer set the tone again for the start of this second half.
Unai Emery clearly saw that the team needed some change. A triple substitution came for Aston Villa in the 57th minute with Watkins, Sancho and Onana coming on. Moving into a 4-3-3 which Villa are more suited to.
The substitutes instantly look positive for Villa with a nice breakthrough almost immediately and Sanchez in goal had to make a big save in the 61st minute
It clicked then for Aston Villa with a goal for Ollie Watkins, assist by Morgan Rodgers. A bounce of the shin of Sanchez in goal gives Ollie Watkins a proper strikers goal making it his 4th of the season. The Villa substitutes have looked to change the game.
It was coming thick and fast now, another break for Villa which prompted another save from Sanchez, claret and blue shirts swarming forward every chance they can get. Confidence looked to be flooding back into the side.
Chelsea then make their own triple substitution in the 68th minute with Gittens, Gusto and Delap entering the field. The Chelsea side hopefully looking to change the game again.
Another Chelsea substitute in the 71st minute sees Cole palmer leaving the field with Estevao entering. Palmer not looking happy to not fulfil the 90 minutes.
Substitutes proving not enough for Chelsea with another goal in the 84th minute for Ollie Watkins. After a surging run forward the striker wins a corner which he then heads directly in with the cross coming from Tielemans.
Aston Villa proving their quality in the second half and showing how they have picked up 15 points from losing positions in the league this season, which is the most of any team.
After going two goals up Villa looked like they could get another easily and were making a mockery of Chelsea late in the second half with chances flowing.
The game ended 2-1 to the away side and Chelsea couldn’t adapt to the pressure that Aston Villa applied after they changed to the 4-3-3. It looked like a different game and the course of momentum completely.
