In a thrilling encounter at Villa Park, Chelsea fought back from a two-goal deficit at halftime to salvage a crucial point against Aston Villa. Mauricio Pochettino’s side displayed resilience and determination, clawing their way back into the game against Unai Emery’s Champions League hopefuls.

The match started disastrously for Chelsea as Marc Cucurella inadvertently directed John McGinn’s scuffed shot into his own net within the first four minutes. Despite attempts to rally, including Nicolas Jackson’s header hitting the post, Chelsea found themselves trailing 2-0 at halftime after Morgan Rogers’ well-placed shot found the back of the net.

However, the Blues emerged rejuvenated after the break, with Pochettino’s tactical adjustments sparking a dramatic turnaround. Conor Gallagher ignited the comeback with a tenacious display, winning the ball back and setting up Noni Madueke for Chelsea’s first goal. Gallagher then showcased his individual brilliance with a stunning 20-yard strike to level the scores.

In a heart-stopping finale, substitute Axel Disasi appeared to snatch victory for Chelsea with a stoppage-time header, only for VAR to intervene and disallow the goal due to a foul in the build-up. Despite the disappointment of narrowly missing out on the win, Chelsea’s spirited performance ensured they secured a valuable point in their quest for European qualification.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Djordje Petrovic (6/10):

Had no chance with the opening goal, but will be disappointed to be beaten at his near post by Rogers. Did make a decent save to deny Watkins in the first half.

Trevoh Chalobah (4/10):

Deployed as a narrow right-back, but didn’t seem to fully understand where he was meant to be when Villa attacked. Will feel he could have done better for both goals.

Thiago Silva (6/10):

Beaten for pace on one occasion by Watkins, but an assured presence in defence otherwise. Limped off late on.

Benoit Badiashile (6/10):

Looked much more comfortable next to Thiago Silva having struggled so much at Arsenal. Punished for his slight shove at the death when Chelsea thought they’d won it.

Marc Cucurella (6/10):

Could do little about his own goal, though he wasn’t great from a defensive point of view. Did offer a fair bit in attack, both out wide in the first half and in a more inverted role after the break.

Midfield

Moises Caicedo (7/10):

An encouraging display with the ball, as he looked to play incisive passes and posed something of a threat around the edge of the box. Was caught on the wrong side of the ball when defending a couple of times, but made some crunching challenges to win the ball back.

Conor Gallagher (7/10):

Lacked quality in the first half, even if he worked tirelessly. Managed to put everything together after the break, however, as his excellent pressing led to Madueke’s goal before his superb finish levelled the scores.

Cole Palmer (4/10):

Returned from illness but not at his best as Villa largely crowded him out. Set-pieces were disappointing before he missed a huge chance to win it in stoppage-time.

Attack

Noni Madueke (7/10):

A real game of two halves. Forced to hug the touchline in the first half, and he was guilty of not tracking back for both Villa goals. Moved inside after the break and instantly became Chelsea’s most dangerous attacker, with his goal a superb finish.

Nicolas Jackson (6/10):

Ran himself into the ground and unfortunate that a fine finish was ruled out for offside. Should have scored with a free header that hit the post.

Mykhailo Mudryk (3/10):

Struggled to get himself into the game, while his final ball was constantly lacking. A first-half shot that almost hit the corner flag summed up his performance.

Subs & Manager

Cesare Casadei (N/A):

Thrown on in the final minute.

Axel Disasi (N/A):

Almost the hero with his stoppage-time header that was controversially ruled out.

Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):

Didn’t get his set up right in the first half, but deserves huge credit for both the tactical tweaks he made and how he was able to encourage his players to battle back.