Aston Villa 1 Chelsea 2 - Report

Kortney Hause gave Dean Smith’s team an unlikely lead when he netted his first top flight goal just prior to the break.

But Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giround netted in quick succession just after the hour mark as Chelsea finally made their dominance count.

Villa remain a point from safety but with just eight matches of the season now remaining.

Analysis

Smith’s men came close to grabbing a point when Jota, on as a substitute, fired inches wide with his first touch three minutes from time.

But that was one of only a handful of chances they managed over the course of a match largely dominated by the visitors.

At times during the first-half it felt like an exercise of attack v defence as Chelsea poured forward again and again.

They couldn’t find the net and it was Villa who went in front when Hause scrambled home in the 43rd minute.

Yet the hosts simply lacked the quality to put their visitors under any sustained pressure and as Chelsea continued to boss proceedings after the break, so the goals inevitably arrived.

Villa go to Newcastle on Wednesday for what looks like a must-win fixture but it is questionable whether they have the quality, particularly up front, to dig their way out of trouble.

Last Wednesday’s match against Sheffield United was most notable for a technology failure when Hawk-Eye failed to register Orjan Nyland carrying the ball over his own line.

There was another malfunction in the early stages here, only this time it was the Villa sprinklers which made a brief and unexpected appearance.

That was the most exciting aspect of an otherwise quiet opening 20 minutes but it was Chelsea already bossing possession and soon chances began to arrive.

Mason Mount brought a fine one-handed save from Nyland with a strike from distance, with Willian then sending the ball whizzing across the face of goal.

Nyland, at fault on Wednesday, nearly experienced further embarrassment when he allowed a Mateo Kovacic shot to briefly escape his clutches, the Norway international reacting quickly to prevent the ball from squirming over the line.

It was all Chelsea and Mount was inches away from setting up Loftus-Cheek for the opener with a cross which just evaded the midfielder’s dive.

Villa hadn’t been entirely quiet, El Ghazi testing Kepa with a shot from distance, while McGinn had also glanced a header wide.

Yet it was still a huge shock when the hosts took the lead. Hourihane played a free-kick out wide to Grealish, whose pass to Douglas Luiz was followed by the Brazilian whipping a dangerous cross to the far post, where El Ghazi and Hause were both arriving.

The former tested Kepa with a volley and when the ball ran loose, Hause was on hand to skew it over the line.

There was still enough time left in the half for Chelsea to threaten a leveller, Mings blocking from Alonso, while Kovacic sent a half volley whistling just wide of the post.

The second half began in the same pattern but the frustration for Villa will be that they appeared to have weathered the early storm before the visitors turned the match around in the space of 121 seconds. Having worked so hard, the manner with which they relinquished their advantage was frustratingly soft.

Pulisic, who had been on the pitch for only five minutes, arrived unmarked to meet a deep Cesar Azpilicueta cross at the far post, firing home a finish off the bar to level the match up.

Azpilicueta was then the provider as the hosts grabbed the lead, finding Giroud 12 yards out, the striker having time to turn and fire in a shot which flicked off the boot of Hourihane and into the corner of the net.

Villa rarely looked like getting back on level terms until the closing moments when Jota, on as a substitute, fired narrowly wide of the post.

Key Moments

43 - GOAL - Villa go in front as Kortney Hause reacts quickest to fire home a loose ball for his first Premier League goal.

60 - GOAL Chelsea pull level as Cesar Azpilicueta sends in a deep cross and Christian Pulisic, arriving at the far post, fires in a finish off the bar.

62 - GOAL The turnaround is complete. This time Azpilicueta finds Giroud who turns 12 yards out and fires in a shot which flicks off Hourihane and into the net.

Teams

Villa (4-3-3): Nyland, Konsa, Hause, Mings, Targett, McGinn (Jota 87), Luiz, Hourihane (Nakamba 69), El Ghazi (Trezeguet 69), Davis (Samatta 57), Grealish Subs not used: Taylor, Elmohamady, Jota, Vassilev, Baston, Reina (gk).

Chelsea (4-3-3): Kepa, Azpilicueta ©, Rudiger, Christensen, Alonso, Loftus-Cheek (Barkley 55), Kante, Kovacic (Pulisic 55), Willian, Girous, Mount Subs not used: Abraham, Pedro, Zouma, James, Emerson, Gilmour, Caballero (gk).