Chelsea dropped to the bottom half of the Premier League
For the second round in a row, Chelsea could not win when welcoming a mid-range opponent in the Premier League. Holding the ball 69% and finishing 26 times, but the Stamford Bridge owner was powerless in scoring. The mistakes in the defense caused Chelsea to concede twice in each half. Hopes to attend the European Cup next season are exhausted, and the pressure on coach Graham Potter is even greater when his team drops to the bottom half of the scoreboard.
Expensive signing Mikhaylo Mudryk was heavily criticized after the defeat, when he missed two delicious opportunities in the first half. The Ukrainian player won the ball after a careless pass from Emi Martinez, but could not beat the Aston Villa goalkeeper in the sixth minute. In the 31st minute, Mudryk received Mateo Kovacic's slot, facing Martinez for the second time. But rookie Chelsea finished like a pass straight into the hands of the Argentine goalkeeper.
Not only Mudryk, other names on the attack like Joao Felix or Kai Havertz also disappointed with the finishing phase that was too gentle in the first 45 minutes. Chelsea's defense was also loose when full-backs Marc Cucurella and Reece James were lined up as central defenders in a 3-4-3 formation. From Cucurella's mistake, Ollie Watkins escaped to the ball over Kepa's head, opening the scoring for Aston Villa in the 18th minute. Watkins became the first player in the team's history to score in five consecutive away games.
Chelsea could be further led, if Watkins and John McGinn fail to finish early in the game. But the home side can also equalize, if the referee is not strict with Ben Chilwell in the final phase of the half. Chilwell headed back into the far corner of the goal, but the slow motion showed the Chelsea defender shoving Ashley Young lightly from behind.
Chelsea maintained pressure in the second half. But when the goal was not found, the home team conceded a second goal in the 56th minute. McGinn stood lowest on the Aston Villa side, caught the ball bouncing from the corner and then shot Kepa from afar. The Scottish midfielder once sent the ball into the crossbar, in a similar contented shot in the first half.
The positive in Chelsea's defeat was the return of N'golo Kante, for the first time since August 2022. After entering the field in the second half, the French midfielder almost scored with a corner kick.
Chelsea's expected goal index (xG) this match is 2.28, while Aston Villa's is only 0.88. But the victory belonged to the away team, helping them climb to ninth with three points more than the home team. Chelsea ranked 11th with 38 points, nine points behind fifth-placed Newcastle and played two more games. Potter's teachers and students' minds are probably more on the Champions League arena, where they will meet Real two quarter-finals in mid-April.
