Chelsea slump continues as Watkins the villain for woeful Blues
Coming into this fixture on the back of their worst five-game start to a PL campaign since 2015/16, Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea were under pressure to produce a result.
The Blues started brightly, setting the tempo and taking the game to Villa, but as has so often been the case, the final product was proving elusive.
During a half with little goalmouth action for the visitors, Lucas Digne came closest to netting with a long-range strike that required the attention of Robert Sánchez.
A miscued Enzo Fernández effort from a promising position and an offside diving header from Axel Disasi perfectly encapsulated Chelsea’s first-half frustrations.
The hosts picked up where they left off after the break, but chances from Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson went begging.
Having found goals hard to come by since joining the London side, Jackson perhaps let his frustrations get the better of him, impeding a free-kick to earn a fifth yellow card of the season and an accompanying suspension.
If that wasn’t enough headache for Pochettino, a red card for an overly forceful challenge from Malo Gusto left Chelsea in a pickle minutes later.
That dismissal offered Villa some encouragement and they duly capitalised when Ollie Watkins fired in a low shot from a tight angle to record his first PL goal of the campaign.
With time ticking away, chances were coming thick and fast for both sides but Ben Chilwell, Disasi, and Moussa Diaby all squandered presentable opportunities when in behind.
Ultimately, it was the same old story for Chelsea, who created plenty of openings with no end product, leaving them marooned in midtable. As for Villa, clinching all three points is the perfect tonic to a disappointing European defeat in midweek as they rise to sixth in the PL.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa)
