FA Cup: Chelsea 0 Aston Villa 0 - Report

This one at Stamford Bridge, which followed the first goalless game of the Spaniard’s Premier League career at Everton earlier in the month, means Villa and Chelsea will do it all again in the FA Cup fourth round the week after next.

For the first time since they last reached the final in 2015, Villa’s Cup campaign will stretch into February and roared on by nearly 6,000 travelling supporters and with owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens in attendance, they certainly did not deserve to exit here.

In truth, they perhaps should have won it after a strong second half showing in which Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic denied Ollie Watkins and Matty Cash.

There were echoes of the draw at Everton too, with the visitors again seeing an early goal ruled out following a VAR review. Douglas Luiz thought he had broken the deadlock when he tapped home from close range but the strike was rightly overturned for Brazilian having brought the ball under control with his hand.

Villa also did their best to give the game away. On several occasions in the first half, they were indebted to the magnificence of Emi Martinez for digging them out of trouble.

The goalkeeper brilliantly saved from Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer after both were through on goal. The latter also squandered a glorious second half chance on a night when both teams lacked the killer instinct.

By the finish, the draw was probably the fair result. Villa, beaten just once at home since last February, will fancy their chances of progressing through a replay.

Victory here would have been there third on the spin at Stamford Bridge, though Chelsea are much improved from the team beaten 1-0 in the league fixture last September. This draw stretched their unbeaten home run in all competitions to 10 matches.

Emery has now seen his team score just once in three matches, though they have also kept three consecutive clean sheets.

The boss had promised to field the strongest available team and was good to his word, Youri Tielemans making his first start since December 9.

Tielemans should have celebrated his return with a goal inside the opening 10 minutes but when Alex Moreno’s cross found him unmarked at the far post, after Villa had executed a training ground free-kick routine, he planted his header into the ground allowing Petrovic to tip the ball over the bar.

From the corner, the visitors thought they had the lead in any case, Luiz tapping home from a yard out after Moussa Diaby’s shot had deflected straight into his path. Replays, however, showed the Brazilian had controlled the ball with his arm and VAR John Brooks had no option but to intervene.

Things were heating up and Villa increasingly indebted to Martinez for keeping the score level.

First, he denied Madueke with his legs after Palmer had outmuscled Moreno and found his team-mate in space.

Palmer was then thwarted by the same method having been presented with the ball just 12 yards out by an errant Clement Lenglet pass, before Villa’s No.1 was then left at full stretch by a wayward Luiz header which briefly looked destined for the bottom corner.

Raheem Sterling was causing problems down the visiting team’s right. A clever pass found Palmer and when the ball was whipped into the Villa goalmouth, Madueke somehow failed to beat Martinez from three yards out.

Villa looked dangerous when they attacked. The trouble was they did so fleetingly, Tielemans spurning their second chance of the match on the stroke of half-time when he side footed over.

The midfielder found himself in the book early in the second half for a foul on Moises Caicedo and from the free-kick, Palmer sent a volley wide of the far post.

Villa were a bit better and Luiz tested Petrovic with an effort from distance the keeper did well to hold.

But with the game locked in stalemate, Martinez nearly gifted Chelsea with the breakthrough with a clearance which struck Palmer on the edge of the box. Despite the ball falling almost perfectly for the Chelsea man, he completely missed his kick, allowing the grateful keeper to gather.

It was reaching the point where one mistake might decide the tie. Chelsea nearly made it, losing the ball deep in their own half. Diaby fed Watkins, who brought a sharp save from Petrovic.

Moments later, the keeper made an even better one, pushing a Cash drive away from the bottom corner after fine work by Watkins in the build-up.

Villa were in their best spell of the game. Cash got to the byline and crossed low, Benoit Badiashile stepping in at the last to deflect the ball away from Watkins.

Then came another mistake, Ezri Konsa underselling a backpass, with Martinez racing out to just beat Conor Gallagher to the ball.

So nearly the villain, Konsa had a chance to become a hero when the ball fall to him on the edge of the Chelsea box but he thumped it wide.

Soon after, Thiago Silva was relieved to also see the ball fly off target after almost putting a Nicolo Zaniolo cross through his own net.

Teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Petrovic, Gilchrist (Chilwell 65), Disasi, Silva, Badiashile, Caicedo, Fernandez (Chukwuemeka 89) Madueke (Mudryk 77), Gallagher, Sterling (Broja 77), Palmer Subs not used: Deivid, Merrick, Williams, Castledine, Bergstrom (gk).

Villa (4-4-2): Martinez, Cash (Carlos 82), Konsa, Lenglet, Moreno, McGinn, Kamara, Luiz, Tielemans (Zaniolo 82), Diaby (Bailey 90+1), Watkins Subs not used: Chambers, Iroegbunam, Munroe, Kellyman, Wright (gk), Olsen (gk).