Chelsea failed to respond properly to the painful loss from Arsenal on Boxing Day and managed to an 1-1 draw with tactically disciplined Aston Villa. Olivier Giroud gave the Blues an advantage before the break, but Anwar El-Ghazi evened the game in the second half. The hosts claimed that this goal should be disallowed, as Christensen remained on the grass after a collision with Greenish.
Frank Lampard has made six changes since the derby with Arsenal. The team came up with three new defenders – Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rüdiger, who replaced Reese James, Thiago Silva and Kurt Zuma. Matteo Kovacic, Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner sat on the bench at the expense of Jorginho, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Olivier Giroud.
The two teams played a relatively equal first half, in which they shared periods of dominance, as Chelsea started and finished the part stronger
Giroud was at the center of all interesting for The Blues in attack. At 34th he made one-two with Pulisic, who continued to Chillwell. The left back crossed very well, and the Frenchman moved and plunged with a header for 1-0.
Aston Villa equalized in the 51st minute. The situation began with a clash between Grealish and Christensen, in which the Chelsea defender remained lying on the grass while the Birmingham midfielder stood up. Stuart Attwell did not stop the game, which gave a chance for Villa’s attack to develop, while the hosts were with a man less in defense. Matt Cash csrossed to the far post, where Anwar El-Ghazi intercepted. Mendy did not intervene well and allowed the ball to pass between his legs. VAR reviewed the situation, but decided that there was nothing wrong with the clash between Grilish and Christensen, so the goal remained.
Chelsea pressed in search of a winning goal and in the 66th minute the ball was in the net behind Martinez. Azpilicueta chipped the ball in after Pulisic’s header was cleared by Konsa at the goal line. The goal was correctly disallowed due to an offside by Pulisic.
Lampard included Havertz and Werner, who replaced Giroud and Jorginho, as a last attempt to get the win, but their efforts were futile.
Frank Lampard’s boys remain with only one victory in their last five games in the Premier League. Aston Villa have not lost in five consecutive games in the league, and in three of them took the full points. After this match both teams remain with the same number of points – 26 at 5th place, but Aston Villa has a slight advantage in terms of goal difference.
