Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 2 - Report
Villa paid the price for failing to take their chances as they fell to defeat against Chelsea.
Steven Gerrard’s team created a host of chances in their best attacking display of the season but could not find a way past an inspired Kepa Arrizabalaga in the visiting goal.
A dreadful error from Tyrone Mings, who headed right into the path of Mason Mount, gifted Chelsea the opening goal six minutes in.
Poor finishing and brilliant keeping from Kepa then kept Villa out before Mount bagged his second, aided by a misjudgment from Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez, midway through the second half.
Analysis
Martinez failed to read the flight of a free-kick which ended up in the middle of the goal and from that point there was no way back for Villa.
Gerrard’s men, who had scored just seven goals in their first nine Premier League matches, had been on top for large spells before then but failed to make their dominance count.
Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins were guilty of missing good chances but Kepa also denied Jacob Ramsey and Danny Ings in stunning fashion, the Chelsea keeper making six saves during the opening 45 minutes.
Villa’s performance, from an attacking point of view, was encouraging but the defeat leaves them 16th in the table, one point above the drop zone.
The pressure on Gerrard remains considerable ahead of Thursday’s trip to Fulham and next Sunday’s home match against Brentford. Boos echoed round Villa Park at the final whistle, with the boss also copping some flak from supporters as he made his way down the tunnel.
Villa began the game brightly. Ings, making his first start since August 28, was quickest to react to Ezri Konsa’s header and sent a shot off the legs of Thiago Silva which Mateo Kovacic them cleared from in front of a waiting Watkins at the far post. Douglas Luiz sent a volley into the arms of Kepa from the edge of the box.
But any energy generated by the positive start was gone in an instant five minutes in. Ramsey’s deflection on Chilwell’s pass sent the ball spinning in the air and Mings, under no pressure, sent it straight into the path of the lurking Mount, who could not miss.
Villa looked to have had the wind taken out of their sails for a few minutes but then regrouped impressively, with only a string of fine saves from Kepa preventing them from drawing level.
Leon Bailey, recalled to the team along with Ings, should have scored when he sent a header against the bar from McGinn’s cross. The latter should then have done better than fire straight at the keeper when Watkins found him in space. Yet the follow-up save, tipping Ramsey’s drive onto the post, was special and the one immediately after from Ings even better, even though the Villa striker was in an offside position.
McGinn was denied again at close-range after outmuscling Silva, with Kepa then saving from Ings twice in quick succession, the second a header at point-blank range when the striker seemed certain to score. Villa just could not find a way through, with Watkins losing what would have been a golden chance when he failed to control a Bailey cross 10 yards out.
Ben Chilwell then saw yellow for a sliding, studs up challenge on Jacob Ramsey, which left the youngster needing treatment.
Villa’s dominance forced visiting boss Potter into a tactical change with Raheem Sterling, who had started the match at right wing-back, moved up into the front line. The England international came within inches of putting the visitors two goals ahead before the break, curling an effort off the bar from just inside the box.
There were further changes for Chelsea at the break, Kalidou Koulibaly and Cesar Azpilicueta replacing Kai Havertz and Marc Cucurella, the latter having struggled badly.
But Villa continued to find space down the flanks, Watkins off target with headers from a Bailey corner and whipped Cash cross, before the striker then curled a shot over the bar after cutting in from the left.
When the hosts did get an effort on target, McGinn did not make the contact he would have wished on a volley after Kepa had just about beat Mings to a Luiz free-kick.
Chelsea had not threatened since the break but with their first attempt on goal of the half, doubled their lead. Mings brought down Mount 25 yards out and the latter made Martinez look foolish with a free-kick which curled and dipped and ended up in the middle of the goal.
Sterling came close to making it three with a header which fell just the wrong side of the post.
Key Moments
6 GOAL Chelsea are gifted the lead by a horrendous error from Tyrone Mings. The centre-back miscues a header to tee up a simple volley for Mason Mount.
65 GOAL Chelsea double their lead. Mings fouls Mount 25 yards out and he sends a dipping free-kick beyond a completely fooled Emi Martinez.
Teams
Villa (4-3-3): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young, McGinn (Coutinho 73), Luiz, Ramsey (Dendoncker 78), Bailey (Buendia 66), Ings, Watkins Subs not used: Bednarek, Bogarde, Nakamba, Sanson, Chambers, Olsen (gk).
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Arrizabalaga, Silva, Chalobah, Cucurella (Koulibaly HT), Sterling (Broja 89), Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic (Jorginho 65), Chilwell, Mount, Havertz (Azpilicueta HT), Sterling, Aubameyang (Gallagher 58) Subs not used: Pulisic, Zakaria, Chukwuemeka, Mendy (gk).
