Aston Villa vs Chelsea Report

Scorers: Asensio 57’, 89’; Fernandez 9’

Aston Villa returned to winning ways with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Villa Park, as Marco Asensio’s brace helped Unai Emery’s men overturn an early deficit, with fellow January loan signing Marcus Rashford providing the assists for both strikes.

The win, Villa’s first in six Premier League matches, sees them close the gap on the European places while extending Chelsea’s struggles on the road.

Chelsea Strike Early to Take the Lead

Despite Villa’s strong home form—losing just once in the Premier League at Villa Park this season—Chelsea showed no fear and wasted little time in asserting themselves.

Within nine minutes, the visitors found the breakthrough as Pedro Neto burst down the right flank, delivering a low cross that Emiliano Martínez failed to intercept.

The ball reached an unmarked Enzo Fernández, who had the simplest of tasks to tap in from close range.

Villa responded well, with Ollie Watkins testing Filip Jörgensen in goal, but Chelsea remained a threat going forward.

Fernández almost doubled his tally with a curling effort that narrowly missed the target, while Christopher Nkunku’s bending strike forced a save from Martínez.

The Blues nearly extended their advantage when Cole Palmer’s shot took a wicked deflection, but it skidded just wide of the post.

Rashford and Asensio Inspire Villa Fightback

Trailing at the break, Villa introduced January signing Marcus Rashford in a bid to spark their attack, and the Manchester United loanee wasted little time making an impact.

Just 15 minutes after coming on, Rashford latched onto a diagonal pass from Matty Cash at the far post and set up Asensio, who finished into an empty net to restore parity.

Chelsea nearly regained the lead moments later when Moisés Caicedo played Palmer through on goal, but the youngster’s shot beat Martínez only for Ezri Konsa to clear off the line.

As the game opened up, Villa sensed an opportunity to take all three points, with Donyell Malen going one-on-one with Jörgensen but failing to beat the Danish goalkeeper.

Asensio Completes the Comeback in the Dying Minutes

With the match heading towards a draw, Villa’s persistence paid off in the 89th minute. Rashford linked up with Youri Tielemans from a corner before drilling the ball into Asensio, who reacted instinctively to squeeze a first-time finish under Jörgensen, sending Villa Park into raptures.

What This Means for Both Teams

• Aston Villa: This victory ends a five-match winless streak and moves Villa within a point of Chelsea, reigniting their European qualification hopes. The impact of Rashford and Asensio has given Emery’s side a much-needed attacking boost.
• Chelsea: Enzo Maresca’s men remain in sixth place, but their struggles away from home persist, with no wins in their last six league matches on the road. They will need a response to keep their European aspirations intact.

Final Thoughts

Aston Villa’s resilience shone through as they staged an impressive second-half fightback. With Rashford making an instant impact and Asensio delivering in crucial moments, the Villans have breathed new life into their campaign.

For Chelsea, it was yet another frustrating away outing, and Maresca will need to find a way to improve their road form if they are to keep pace in the European race.

For more info on this game’s outcome, you may also visit:
Aston Villa v Chelsea, 2024/25 | Premier League