Chelsea 1 Aston Villa 1 - Report

Points have been hard to come by at Stamford Bridge over the past two decades. This was only the seventh Villa have picked up in their last 16 visits.

Ultimately, it was one hard-earned, as Dean Smith’s followed up their Boxing Day masterclass against Crystal Palace with a performance full of grit and determination, similar in character to those shown in wins at Wolves and Leicester.

Trailing to Olivier Giroud’s first-half header, Villa responded through Anwar El Ghazi’s fifth goal in as many games as they came from behind to claim a point for the first time this season.

In doing so they moved up to fifth in the Premier League table ahead of the rest of the midweek fixtures, still above Chelsea on goal difference.

Though it was the hosts who had the better chances to win it, neither did Villa look overmatched against a team who began the season as title contenders - and who were also able to bring on serious reinforcements off the bench in the closing stages.

Indeed, on another day the visitors might have snatched victory, John McGinn hammering a long range effort off the bar, while substitute Jacob Ramsey also curled narrowly wide.

The first of four matches against fellow top half rivals, this was a solid start. Next up is a trip to Manchester United on New Year's Day when Tyrone Mings, who missed this match through suspension, and Ross Barkley should both be available.

While Villa made just one, enforced change to the team which had beaten Palace, with Ezri Konsa replacing the suspended Tyrone Mings, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard followed through on his vow to make sweeping changes following his side’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

There were six in total, with Edouard Mendy, N'Golo Kante, Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell the five survivors from the Emirates.

It was one of the new boys, centre-back Antonio Rudiger, who had the first attempt on goal of the match but his flick from Mount’s corner was straight at Emiliano Martinez in the Villa goal.

A minute later Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy was forced into a far tougher save by Jack Grealish, who cut in from the left wing and fired in a curling effort which the home No.1 pushed round the post, diving to his left.

But it was then a rare Grealish error which nearly served up an opener for the hosts. The Villa skipper’s loose pass across the face of his own goal was pounced on by Pulisic, who raced into the box before hitting a shot inches wide of the post, the ball rippling the side netting before crashing into the advertising hoardings.

The USA international looked lively and soon after McGinn needed to be well placed to block his shot after Chilwell had found space down Villa’s right.

Yet while Chelsea looked threatening on occasion, it was the visitor who were beginning to have the better of the territorial battle, winning the ball high up the pitch and putting pressure on the hosts.

Kortney Hause, starting his fourth game in succession, wasted a good chance when he headed an inswinging Grealish free-kick over the bar. Matty Cash was then unable to get his effort on target after Mendy, under pressure from Watkins, had failed to hold El Ghazi’s cross.

There was an argument to say Giroud’s 34th minute opener came against the run of play, though Villa had been given a warning just before when Pulisic hooked over at close range, after Cesar Azpilicueta’s right-wing cross wasn’t cleared.

The goal was frustratingly simple, from Villa’s point of view. Pulisic found Chilwell in space down the left and he whipped in a low cross which Giroud, having escaped Konsa, stooped to head past Martinez at the near post. Not even a VAR check, which confirmed Chilwell had remained marginally onside, could save the visitors.

Chelsea looked a different beast after that and might have lead by more at the break had Mount been able to keep down his shot, admittedly from a tight angle, after escaping from both Grealish and Cash.

There was a sense Villa needed something quickly in the second half and they bagged an equaliser five minutes of the restart.

Chelsea were unhappy with referee Stuart Attwell, who allowed play to continue after Grealish and Andreas Christensen ended up on the floor following a challenge from the defender. While Christensen remained down, Grealish got back to his feet to intercept a clearance and move the ball out to Cash, who delivered a cross which El Ghazi volleyed between the legs of Mendy.

Villa immediately looked more confident, though they had a let off when N’Golo Kante, with time and space to pick his spot at the edge of the box, sent a weak shot straight at Martinez.

Both teams went close midway through the half. First Konsa did superbly to head a goalbound Pulisic header off the line and though Azpilicueta bundled the ball in, he did so from an offside position.

Then came Villa, McGinn picking up a loose ball 25 yards from goal and crashing a shot against the bar with Mendy a spectator.

After Hudson-Odoi had tested Martinez with a long-range effort, Lampard introduced Timo Werner and Kai Havertz off the bench, a duo who together had cost the hosts more than £100million.

It was Pulisic who threatened next, driving in a shot which required a touch from Martinez to turn it over the bar.

Smith made his first change with 10 minutes remaining, Jacob Ramsey replacing the tiring El Ghazi. The teenager’s first action was to curl a right-footed shot inches wide of the post.

At the other end Werner should have done better than shoot off target having found space in the box.

In stoppage time Chelsea thought they had a winner only for Chilwell’s volley to go flashing wide of the post.

Teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Mendy, Azpilicueta ©, Rudiger, Christensen, Chilwell, Kante, Jorginho (Havertz 72), Mount, Pulisic, Giroud (Werner 72), Hudson-Odoi Subs not used: Silva, Abraham, Tomori, Kovacic, Gilmour, Emerson, Arrizabalaga (gk).

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Hause, Targett, McGinn, Luiz, Traore (Davis 87), Grealish (c), El Ghazi (Ramsey 81), Watkins Subs not used: Elmohamady, Engels, Taylor, Guilbert, Nakamba, Hourihane, Heaton (gk).