Carabao Cup: Chelsea 1 Aston Villa 1 (Chelsea 4-3 pens) - Report

Having lost 3-0 despite a more than creditable performance in the Premier League earlier in the month, Dean Smith’s much-changed team took Chelsea’s all the way to penalties in the Carabao Cup.

But once again, it was not their night. Reece James fired home the winning spot-kick to earn the Champions League winners a 4-3 shoot-out win, after Ashley Young and Marvelous Nakamba had both failed with their efforts.

Though defeat seriously diminished Villa’s chances of ending their 25-year trophy drought, this was not an evening without positives.

The biggest was Cameron Archer, who in front of the watching Prince William followed up his hat-trick in the previous round at Barrow by netting a brilliant header to cancel out Timo Werner’s opener for the hosts.

At the age of 20, Archer’s game still needs refinement. He was guilty of missing two much easier chances which would have put Villa ahead in the first half. But the potential is there and though the club’s run in the Carabao Cup has lasted only two matches there is a chance they have uncovered a star.

Fellow youngsters Jaden Philogene-Bidace and Carney Chukwuemeka both impressed off the bench, the latter having replaced the luckless Morgan Sanson, whose first appearance since April lasted only 42 minutes before he was forced off with injury,

Though Smith made nine changes from the team which started last weekend’s win over Everton, the visiting XI still included record signing Buendia along with several other big money signings.

Chelsea’s team featured 10 changes but their bench was considerably stronger. While Villa’s consisted of Ezri Konsa and a smattering of promising youngsters, home boss Thomas Tuchel named Romelu Lukaku among his substitutes.

The first time Villa moved the ball with purpose they opened Chelsea up, Buendia shifting the ball on to Traore, who found Sanson bursting into the opposition half. Sanson took a touch before finding Archer, who had peeled away into space on the right but with just Kepa to beat the youngster lifted his finish over the bar.

Archer would get another golden chance just before the break after a half in which possession was dominated by the hosts, without Villa keeper Jed Steer forced into any serious exertion.

Bertrand Traore skipped in from the right and picked out Archer on the edge of the box. Again, the young Villa forward had just Kepa to beat but again he was unable to do so, the keeper standing tall to block his attempted chip before Reece James hammered Anwar El Ghazi’s follow up off the line.

Tuchel replaced N’Golo Kante with Mason Mount at the break and Chelsea began the second half strongly, Hudson-Odoi slicing wide after Ziyech’s shot had run across the box with no Villa player able to get a boot on it.

Hudson-Odoi then brought a sharp save from Steer after running at Young, Villa’s captain for the night, and hitting a low shot which the keeper held at the second attempt.

The hosts then saw strong claims for a penalty waved away when Werner’s shot hit Hause’s outstretched arm but moments later they were ahead anyway, the Germany international rising to nod home James’ cross having got in between Tuanzebe and Cash.

Villa were in danger of being blown away in the minutes which followed. But Werner stabbed wide after being played through by Ziyech, before Steer saved impressively from the latter diving to his left.

Yet not only did the visitors survive, they drew level thanks to a brilliant goal. Cash’s cross deep from the right was undefendable but Archer, arriving to meet it, still had plenty of work to do. He promptly sent his most difficult chance of the night crashing home off the underside of the bar.

Suddenly it was Villa in ascendency. Jaden Philogene-Bidace, who had replaced Traore off the bench, found El Ghazi on the left of the box but the winger hit his shot straight at Kepa. Archer, confidence brimming, then turned past the challenge of Trevoh Chalobah on the edge of the box and picked out Philogene-Bidace but again the finish was too close to the keeper.

Poor finishing was letting both teams down. Mount looked certain to restore Chelsea’s advantage when he turned past the challenge of Cash but somehow stabbed the finish wide. At the other end Buendia lifted a first-time shot over the bar after Cash had got in behind Chilwell.

Tuchel had now introduced Lukaku off the bench. The Belgium international looked to be through on goal when he turned past Hause but the Villa defender denied him with a perfectly-judged tackle.

Young was the first to miss in the shoot-out, crashing his effort off the bar after El Ghazi and Lukaku had both converted. When Kepa then saved from Nakamba, Chelsea were almost over the line but while Ben Chilwell’s miss gave Villa hope, James kept his cool to send the hosts into the next round.

Chelsea (3-5-2): Kepa, James, Chalobah, Sarr, Hudson-Odoi, Kante © (Mount HT), Saul (Lukaku 76), Loftus-Cheek, Chilwell, Ziyech (Barkley 76), Werner Subs not used: Mbuyamba, Silva, Havertz, Bettinelli (gk).

Villa (4-3-3): Steer, Cash (Konsa 76), Tuanzebe, Hause, Young, Buendia, Nakamba, Sanson (Carney Chukwuemeka 42), Traore (Philogene-Bidace 63), Archer, El Ghazi Subs not used: Bogarde, Ramsey A, Caleb Chukwuemeka, Sinisalo (gk).