Ollie Watkins scored his first Premier League goal of the season to secure a victory for Villa against Chelsea. The striker hammered the ball into the net with 17 minutes remaining at Stamford Bridge, helping Unai Emery’s team recover from their disappointing defeat to Legia Warsaw on Thursday.
Chelsea’s situation was further complicated by the red card shown to defender Malo Gusto in the 60th minute for a studs-up challenge on Lucas Digne.
Villa’s goalkeeper, Emi Martinez, made several crucial saves as Emery’s side recorded their first clean sheet away from home in the league this season, propelling them into the top six.
Analysis
Martinez thwarted Nico Jackson and Raheem Sterling before making a crucial save to deny Ben Chilwell from equalizing quickly after Watkins’ goal.
Villa also had their chances, with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez saving attempts from Lucas Digne, Nicolo Zaniolo, and Jacob Ramsey. While their performance wasn’t flawless, it proved sufficient against a rather average Chelsea team. Gusto’s sending-off certainly aided their cause, but in the end, Villa gritted it out and found a way to win.
After facing criticism for his lineup choices in Warsaw, Emery reverted to the starting XI that had begun their previous Premier League victory over Crystal Palace the previous weekend. This meant Pau Torres returned to the starting lineup, and the Spanish international quickly became involved as Chelsea started brightly.
His risky pass across the face of the goal would have been capitalized on by Mykhailo Mudryk if not for the alertness of Boubacar Kamara.
Torres fared better when he stood his ground to halt Sterling’s advance after the English international had entered the box dangerously. Despite Chelsea’s pressure, Moises Caicedo’s shot directly at Martinez was their only significant attempt during the early exchanges, and the first significant save of the match came from Sanchez, who tipped Digne’s dipping volley over the crossbar.
Martinez faced a serious challenge just past the midway point of the half when Mudryk found Jackson’s run with an exquisite reverse pass. Villa’s goalkeeper did enough to divert the flicked first-time finish behind for a corner.
The visitors were then thankful for Enzo Fernandez’s wasteful finishing, as the Argentine international sent a shot over the bar when presented with space.
Key Moments:
- In the 60th minute, Malo Gusto received a red card after initially being shown a yellow card for a studs-up challenge on Lucas Digne, following a VAR review.
- In the 73rd minute, Ollie Watkins broke the deadlock by scoring on his second attempt after Levi Colwill blocked his initial shot.