Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1

The on loan Paris St Germain star got his first goal for the club just before the hour mark when he turned home fellow loanee Marcus Rashford’s cross.

And the same pair combined again with two minutes remaining, Asensio’s volley squirming through goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

Enzo Fernandez had earlier put Chelsea into the lead but Villa fought back impressively to claim a win which moved them up to seventh in the Premier League.

Analysis

That is just a point behind the visitors, who faded after dominating the early stages.

Villa boss Unai Emery had branded this a match his team needed to win and they did so thanks to their two most high-profile transfer window signings, Asensio and Rashford.

The latter was introduced at the break and duly set up both goals for Asensio, albeit the winner owed much to Filip Jorgensen who allowed the shot to slip through his hands.

It was a hero to zero moment for the keeper, who seconds before had denied Donyell Malen one-on-one.

Victory snapped a five-match winless run for Villa, with the only concern the second half exit of Tyrone Mings due to injury.

There had been positive news for Villa before kick-off with Ezri Konsa’s return to fitness meaning Emery was spared having to name his 11th different centre-back pairing of the season from the start. 

It was Chelsea who then suffered an injury to their defence, Trevoh Chalobah forced off and replaced by Tosin Adarabioyo.

Yet 60 seconds later it was Villa’s backline back in focus, due to the ease with which the visitors took the lead. Pedro Neto blasted his way past Ian Maatsen and flung in a cross which an unmarked Fernandez converted with his knee from inside the six-yard box.

The goal summed up a confident start from the visitors and they might have had another had Mings not been in the right place to block from Neto at close range.

Villa were passive but suddenly sprung to life with a quick break which saw Morgan Rogers send Asensio sprinting away with a delightful flick, goalkeeper Jorgensen eventually saving from Ollie Watkins at the near post.

The striker would be denied again by Jorgensen at point-blank range, the keeper sticking out a leg to block his shot after Watkins had stretched to meet Tielemans’s low cross.

Chelsea were continuing to look dangerous, however, with Fernandez curling a shot onto the roof of the net and Cole Palmer then seeing a shot deflect off Mings and inches wide of the near post.

Watkins sent a shot thundering into the side-netting after Reece James had given the ball away but the clear indication Emery wanted more from his attack came with the half-time introduction of Rashford off the bench.

Yet it was Chelsea who next went closest when Mings, who would soon be replaced by Lamare Bogarde as Villa’s defensive injury woes continued, gave the ball away and Neto thumped a shot past the far post.

Rashford, however, would soon have his say by setting up Villa’s leveller. Matty Cash crossed from the right and Rashford turned the ball back into the path of fellow loanee Asensio, who finished from two yards out. Celebrations were initially cut short by an offside flag but a VAR check overruled the call.

Villa were now in the ascendency but susceptible to being hit on the break and the home crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief when Palmer, having found a yard of space, curled wide.

The England international then thought he had restored the visiting team’s lead when he went through on goal and fired past a stranded Martinez toward goal but Konsa had recovered brilliantly to block the shot.

Villa saw appeals for a penalty waved away when Bogarde went down in the box at a corner before Jorgensen looked to have been Chelsea’s hero, denying Malen one-on-one after a rapid counter.

But seconds later it was a different story. Asensio volleyed Rashford’s cross toward goal it seemed to go through the keeper as Villa claimed a vital win.

Key Moments

9 GOAL Enzo Fernandez puts Chelsea ahead, kneeing home Pedro Neto’s cross after the latter blasts his way past Ian Maatsen.

57 GOAL Marco Asensio pulls Villa level. His goal is initially ruled out for offside but given after a VAR check.

89 GOAL Asensio gets the winner, his volley slipping through the grasp of Filip Jorgensen.

Teams

Villa (4-3-2-1): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings (Bogarde 60), Maatsen, McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers (Malen 77), Asensio, Ramsey (Rashford HT), Watkins (Bailey 77) Subs not used: Digne, Jimoh, Zych (gk), Olsen (gk).

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Jorgensen, Gusto, Chalobah (Adarabioyo 8), Colwill, Cucurella, James, Palmer, Caicedo, Fernandez, Nkunku (Sancho 76), Neto Subs not used: Sancho, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Acheampong, Amougou, Samuels-Smith, Mhueka, Sanchez (gk).