Chelsea suffered a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa after a brilliant display at Stamford Bridge, giving up a 1-0 lead at half-time.
Chelsea took the lead eight minutes before half-time when Joao Pedro converted a corner kick from Reece James. In the first half, the home team took control of the game to coach Unai Emery’s side and played a relaxed attacking style of football. However, they were wasted in front of goal and were made to pay for it when Villa substitute Ollie Watkins found the back of the net with just over an hour remaining. It looked like the visitors were the more likely of the two teams to win the game, but they did just that with Watkins scoring his second goal of the night six minutes before the end. Express Sport has also rated and shortlisted Chelsea players.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa player ratings (4-2-3-1)
Robert Sanchez: 6
He didn’t have much to do in the first half as his defense made big changes to keep Villa at bay. Forced into action after the break, he bravely denied Boubacar Camara within the first hour of the match. However, he could not prevent Watkins’ double. He was lucky not to be sent off in the second half after he slipped outside the penalty area with the ball in his hands.
Reece James: 7
He played in his normal right-back position. He impressed in possession and made some decent tackles throughout the game. He converted the corner kick that led to the opening goal. He is like a key player for the Blues.
Benoit Badiashil: 6
A poor touch in the early minutes allowed Morgan Rogers to take the lead, but they made up for it by interfering with an England player using the same flow of play. Villa played through Chelsea’s midfield in the second period, leaving them exposed at times.
Trevor Chalovar: 7
We kept the ball moving in the first half. They had to deal with more pressure after the interval, with the England striker unable to deal with Watkins’ threat to open Villa’s opener inside the box.
Marc Cucurella: 7
He excelled in defense and attack for most of the match, linking up well with Alejandro Garnacho on the left. Before Watkins’ first strike, Moises Caicedo should have kept it simple. We left with just over 20 minutes left. If he was more consistent, he could become one of the best left-backs in the Premier League.
Enzo Fernandes: 5
He fluffed his line when given a golden chance midway through the first half after being teed up by Cole Palmer. He has been quiet in front of goal in recent months and Chelsea have been lacking in production from him.
Moises Caicedo: 5
He tried to control the game in the middle of the pitch from the start, sending a lot of great passes to his teammates. However, they were unable to fully assert their authority in the second period as Villa fought back and gained the upper hand. His teammates needed more from him because he committed too many fouls.
Pedro Neto: 7
He was very active, dribbling forward with purpose and driving the ball into the box to create chances for his Blues teammates. He believed his team should have been awarded a penalty at the start of the second period.
Cole Palmer: 6
He caught everyone’s attention with his unbelievable touch from the beginning and grabbed a big chance. Although he displayed his technical ability and had numerous successful nutmegs, he was unable to influence the match in the way he had hoped.
Alejandro Garnacho: 6
They won the ball early on and tried to hurt Villa’s defense. He could have made a number of dangerous runs and found the back of the net on another day after being given a chance to score. He can’t dribble as well as Pedro Neto, but he’s still a threat.
João Pedro: 7
He was denied by Argentina players, forcing Emi Martinez to make a fine save midway through the first half. It looked like a penalty should have been awarded following an early challenge from Victor Lindelof, but the referee waved off the protests. They scored the first goal after a corner kick from James, but were unable to add to their scoring.
substitute
Maro Gusto: 6
He was given a run-out in place of Marc Cucurella.
Liam Delap: 6
He came on for Joao Pedro with just over 20 minutes remaining. He was physical, but not as offensive a threat as the Brazilian.
Jamie Gittens: 6
Liam Delap and Maro Gusto appeared but did not play in the match, making a triple substitution in place of Alejandro Garnacho.
Estevao: 6
They were given 18 minutes to shine after Cole Palmer was sent off. This season, he shined when given the chance.
