Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1 - Report

Anwar El Ghazi’s second half penalty proved to be the winner as the hosts, roared on by 10,000 fans, defeated the Champions League finalists.

Bertrand Traore had earlier fired Villa ahead against his former club, for whom Ben Chilwell pulled one back with 20 minutes remaining.

Cesar Azpilicueta saw red for striking Jack Grealish late on but Chelsea clung on to a top-four finish courtesy of Tottenham’s win at Leicester.

Analysis

For much of the afternoon Villa looked destined to inflict a truly damaging defeat on Thomas Tuchel’s team.

But the fate of their opponents was never of particular concern for Dean Smith and his players, for whom this was a special occasion.

Playing in front of their own fans for the first time in more than 15 months, the roar which greeted Villa’s emergence from the tunnel was quickly surpassed when Matt Targett, crowned players’ player of the season before the match, fired a pass in behind the Chelsea defence for Ollie Watkins to chase.

But it was the visitors who quickly began to dominate, Mount firing off target in the second minute after pouncing on a loose ball.

Timo Werner couldn’t make a clean connection with a near post header, while Chilwell volleyed straight at Emiliano Martinez.

A breakthrough felt inevitable but Chelsea just couldn’t find it, Mount missing a glorious opportunity when he met Azpilicueta’s knock down 12 yards out but skied over.

The visitors seemed to lose heart after that, while Villa grew in confidence, Traore and McGinn both shooting narrowly wide of the target.

It was the former who then, two minutes before the break, opened the scoring. Watkins forced Thiago Silva to concede a corner and when Targett fired in the delivery low, Traore met it 12 yards out, sending a shot bouncing into the ground and then up and in off the bar.

Chelsea were losing their cool, with both Jorginho and Timo Werner going into referee’s book before the break.

The visitors were then forced into a half-time change with Edouard Mendy, who had collided with the post when trying in vain to keep out Traore’s opener, replaced by Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Christian Pulisic should then have levelled the scores when picked out by Werner but sliced his shot, which cannoned off Targett before dropping wide.

Soon after Villa doubled their advantage. Grealish linked up with Targett and picked out Traore, who was sent tumbling by Jorginho as he looked to turn. El Ghazi duly sent Kepa the wrong way from the spot.

Nothing was going right for the visitors. Werner thought he had pulled a goal back after tapping home from close range, only for the assistant’s flag to go up with Azpilicueta offside in the build up.

Visiting boss Tuchel kept throwing on attackers, both Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz coming off the bench.

With 20 minutes remaining the visitors finally got on the scoresheet, Chilwell side-footing home at the far post from Pulisic’s cross.

Now it was Villa under the cosh again. Mings escaped a VAR check after appearing to at least partially block a goalbound shot using his arm, with Ziyech then thumping an effort wide.

Into the last five minutes - and with results elsewhere easing the pressure on the visitors - Chilwell almost grabbed his second but this time Martinez was able to keep out the shot.

Azpilicueta then saw red for flinging his arm into the face of Grealish

Key Moments

43 GOAL Bertrand Traore fires Villa ahead, converting a training ground corner routine from Matt Targett’s cross.

52 GOAL Villa double their lead. Jorginho brings down Traore in the box and Anwar El Ghazi slots home the penalty.

70 GOAL Chelsea back in it. Ben Chilwell fires home at the far post from Christian Pulisic’s cross.

Teams

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Konsa, Hause, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Nakamba, Traore (Chukwuemeka 73), Grealish, El Ghazi (Ramsey 79), Watkins Subs not used: Elmohamady, Taylor, Luiz, Philogene-Bidace, Davis, Wesley, Heaton (gk).

Chelsea (3-4-3): Mendy, James, Silva, Rudiger, Azpilicueta ©, Kovacic (Havertz 66), Jorginho (Ziyech 60), Chilwell, Pulisic, Werner, Mount Subs not used: Alonso, Christensen, Zouma, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Gimour, Kepa (gk).