In the match held on date 18 of the Premier League, Aston Villa clinched a 2-1 victory over Chelsea. Ollie Watkins showcased his scoring ability with two goals, the second of which came from a brilliant play at the 38th minute of the second half. A precise pass from Youri Tielemans found Watkins, who skillfully positioned himself and leaped to head the ball into the bottom right corner of Robert Sánchez’s goal.
Ollie Watkins was undoubtedly the standout player of the match. He not only scored both goals but also made four shots on target and completed seven successful passes.
On the other end, Chelsea’s goalkeeper Robert Sánchez made an impressive performance, saving eight shots while also completing 27 passes throughout the match.
Chelsea’s manager Enzo Maresca opted for a 4-5-1 formation with Robert Sánchez in goal; Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, and Marc Cucurella forming the defense; Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, and Alejandro Garnacho in midfield; and João Pedro leading the attack.
Aston Villa, under the guidance of Unai Emery, also set up in a 4-5-1 formation with Emiliano Martínez defending the net; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Victor Lindelöf, and Ian Maatsen forming the backline; Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, Morgan Rogers, and Emiliano Buendía controlling the midfield; and Donyell Malen up front.
The match was officiated by referee Stuart Attwell at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea will next face Bournemouth at home, while Aston Villa prepares for an away match against Arsenal.
With this victory, Aston Villa now holds 29 points, placing them in fifth position. In contrast, Chelsea remains in third place with 39 points in the league.
Substitutions for Chelsea
68’ 2nd Half – Marc Cucurella out for Malo Gusto, João Pedro out for Liam Delap, and Alejandro Garnacho out for Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.71’ 2nd Half – Cole Palmer out for Estêvão Willian.
Yellow Cards for Chelsea:
11’ 2nd Half – Reece James (Dissent), 22’ 2nd Half – Trevoh Chalobah (Unsporting behavior), 25’ 2nd Half – Moisés Caicedo (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement), 25’ 2nd Half – Liam Delap, and 48’ 2nd Half – Enzo Fernández (Insulting or disapproving of the referee).
Substitutions for Aston Villa
57’ 2nd Half – Emiliano Buendía out for Ollie Watkins.58’ 2nd Half – Donyell Malen out for Jadon Sancho, and John McGinn out for Amadou Onana.82’ 2nd Half – Ian Maatsen out for Lucas Digne and Boubacar Kamara out for Lamare Bogarde.
Yellow Cards for Aston Villa:
29’ 1st Half – Matty Cash (Unsporting behavior), 11’ 2nd Half – Morgan Rogers (Dissent), and 33’ 2nd Half – Boubacar Kamara.