Chelsea 0-1 Aston Villa: Ollie Watkins goal piles more misery on Blues and manager Mauricio Pochettino

Ollie Watkins scored the sole goal as Aston Villa beat 10-man Chelsea 1-0 in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.

The opening minutes of the first half saw Chelsea with most of the possession. Moises Caicedo had an early chance from outside the box after Nicolas Jackson won the ball off Douglas Luiz, but the low shot was an easy save for Emiliano Martinez.

Aston Villa grew into the half, and Lucas Digne’s volley from a corner required a big save from Robert Sanchez to keep it out.

Chelsea thought they had broken the deadlock moments before half-time after a header from Axel Disasi, but the flag immediately went up for offside after Disasi mistimed his run from Raheem Sterling’s cross, a decision which VAR quickly confirmed.

The hosts began the second half quickly, but their joy in Villa’s half was quickly dampened after Malo Gusto’s studs-up tackle on Digne resulted in a sending-off. Referee Jarred Gillett had initially given him a yellow, but after a VAR check at the monitor, the card was upgraded to a red.

Villa used their numerical advantage to break the deadlock after Watkins surged into the box during a counter-attack. Defender Levi Colwill managed to block his first attempt, but Watkins was able to react quickly to finish his second attempt from a tight angle.

The victory means Villa move up to sixth in the table, while Chelsea drop down to 14th, marking their worst start to a top-flight season after the opening six games since 1978/79, a season in which they were relegated.

Up next, Chelsea will take on Brighton in the Carabao Cup, while Villa will host Everton.

It was another poor result for Chelsea, who started the game well, and overall had flashes of good build-up play. However, the lack of a goalscorer becomes glaringly obvious with every matchday. It’s clear that Nicolas Jackson has an eye for goal, but the striker’s game seems very raw and unpolished. His decision making in front of the net was poor once again against Villa, and without any other players freely scoring, the pressure on him continues to build.

Villa were certainly not at their best, and it was a performance that Unai Emery will learn a lot from, but they were patient when under pressure, impeccable with their high line, leading to a staggering 10 offside calls for Chelsea. Watkins wasn’t called upon much in the game, but he was decisive when his moment came, and it showed the difference in what Villa have up front versus what Chelsea do.

It seems harsh to give the award to a player on the losing team, but it felt that Sanchez prevented this from being a thrashing. The former Brighton keeper made six saves, 2/2 successful run outs, and one high claim. If Chelsea ever come good going forward, they certainly have the makings of a top-class ‘keeper between the sticks.

For Villa, Boubacar Kamar did well dictating play from midfield with four key passes, and was instrumental defensively during the times Chelsea had sustained possession.

CHELSEA: Sanchez 8, Gusto 6, Disasi 7, Thiago Silva 6, Colwill 7, Gallagher 6, Caicedo 6, Sterling 6, Fernandez 6, Mudryk 7, Jackson 6.

SUBS: Chilwell 6, Ugochukwu 6, Palmer 6, Broja 6.

ASTON VILLA: Martinez 7, Cash 7, Konsa 7, Torres 7, Digne 7, Kamara 8, Douglas Luiz 7, Diaby 7, McGinn 6, Zaniolo 6, Watkins 7.

SUBS: Bailey 6, Dendoncker 7, Ramsey 7, Tielemans 7, Duran 6.

19′ – GREAT SAVE: Villa win their first corner. It comes in and Chelsea clear the ball but only as far as Digne, who opts for a sweet first-time left-footed volley from the edge of the area. It’s going for goal but Sanchez produces a perfect save to deny him.

43′ – CHELSEA HAVE THE BALL IN THE NET! But the flag is up! A great ball from Sterling and Disasi scores! The flag goes up immediately. Let’s see if VAR agrees… NO GOAL! A quick check confirms the on-field decision. A good-line held by Aston Villa.

48′ – CLOSE! Sterling chases the ball from over the top and holds off a challenge from Digne but Martinez makes himself big to deny the Chelsea winger. Martinez is down after the save, but he’ll be OK to continue. A huge chance for Chelsea early on here.

58′ – RED CARD: Gusto gets booked for a challenge on Digne. It’s getting reviewed for a red card for serious foul play. Jarred Gillett is looking at the monitor. Let’s see if he deems it a red…. WOW! Gusto is off! The yellow card is cancelled and it is a red card. Chelsea are down to 10 men at Stamford Bridge. The studs are up in the challenge and he catches Digne’s ankle but that will certainly be controversial.

73′ – GOAL! CHELSEA 0-1 ASTON VILLA! AND . It’s a great counter from Villa and Watkins’ first shot is blocked by Colwill but it drops back into Watkins’ path and from the tightest of angles, he scores on the follow-up.

• Chelsea have failed to score in 13 matches in 2023.
• Aston Villa have won consecutive matches at Stamford Bridge for the first time since 1933.