Aston Villa staged a fantastic second-half fightback to beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge. The Villains thus continue their good recent record here, winning three of their last four visits.
Chelsea were the brighter side, and they nearly grabbed a quick opening goal with Moisés Caicedo setting up Palmer, whose shot went wide. The Blues dictated the game early on, giving their guests hardly any chance, pressing them high, and also creating their few half-chances through Garnacho and Fernández. Emiliano Martínez made a great save to keep out João Pedro’s shot as well during the first half.
Aston Villa failed to take control amid an impressive Chelsea performance, but Morgan Rogers still had some counter-attacking chances. The goal finally came in the 37th minute when Reece James crossed it in from a corner, and João Pedro almost unconsciously nodded the ball home, putting Chelsea ahead and deserving the lead at half-time.
After the interval, things changed as Villa got bolder and started playing with more energy. Both Buendía and Rogers tried their luck against Sánchez, and the introduction of fresh legs gave a push to the side’s energy. Ollie, in a flash, put the ball past the keeper, diverted it, and scored a leveller for the Villains. The move was fast, and he was the only one taking advantage of it.
Watkins didn’t stop there and troubled the defence one more time, netting the winner on the 84th after a perfectly timed header. With the three points, Villa strengthens their position in the title race, whilst Chelsea is feeling the sting of their first defeat in four games in all competitions.
