Premier League Regular Season - 18
Chelsea 1 - 2 FT Aston Villa
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
M. Cash 30'
37' Joao Pedro (R. James)
HT
M. Rogers 57'
57' R. James
↓ E. Buendia ↑O. Watkins 59'
↓ D. Malen ↑J. Sancho 59'
↓ J. McGinn ↑A. Onana 59'
O. Watkins 63'
68' T. Chalobah
69' ↓ M. Cucurella ↑M. Gusto
69' ↓ Joao Pedro ↑L. Delap
69' ↓ A. Garnacho ↑J. Gittens
71' M. Caicedo
71' L. Delap
72' ↓ C. Palmer ↑Estevao
B. Kamara 78'
↓ I. Maatsen ↑L. Digne 83'
↓ B. Kamara ↑L. Bogarde 83'
O. Watkins (Y. Tielemans) 84'
90'+4 E. Fernandez
FT
Player Cards
Season performance ratings for players in this match
Chelsea
Goalkeepers
Robert Sánchez 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Reece James 
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
1
Assists
57%
Pass Acc
Trevoh Chalobah
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Benoît Badiashile 
MAGNET
85
Activity
85
Activity
79
Passes
6
Duels
Marc Cucurella
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
69
Total Mins
69
Entry
Midfielders
Moisés Caicedo
MAGNET
75
Activity
75
Activity
65
Passes
10
Duels
Enzo Fernández 
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
7
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Pedro Neto
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Cole Palmer 
SWEEPER
2
Cleanups
2
Cleanups
2
Interceptions
0
Blocks
Alejandro Garnacho
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
69
Total Mins
69
Entry
Forwards
João Pedro 
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
BENCH
Filip Jørgensen 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Malo Gusto
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
25
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Wesley Fofana
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Josh Acheampong
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tosin Adarabioyo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Andrey Santos
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jamie Gittens
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
25
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Liam Delap
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
25
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Estêvão
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
22
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Aston Villa
Goalkeepers
Emiliano Martínez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Matty Cash
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ezri Konsa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Victor Lindelöf
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ian Maatsen 
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
Midfielders
John McGinn
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
4
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Boubacar Kamara
LATE SHIFT
7
Late Mins
7
Late Mins
83
Total Mins
83
Entry
Youri Tielemans
SWEEPER
3
Cleanups
3
Cleanups
1
Interceptions
2
Blocks
Emiliano Buendía
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
58
Total Mins
59
Entry
Forwards
Donyell Malen
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
59
Total Mins
59
Entry
Morgan Rogers
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
16%
Pass Acc
BENCH
Marco Bizot
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Lucas Digne
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
Andrés García
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Amadou Onana
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
35
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Lamare Bogarde
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
George Hemmings
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jamaldeen Jimoh
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ollie Watkins 
CLOSER
1
Late Goals
1
Late Goals
0
Late Assists
75
Minute
Jadon Sancho
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
35
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22/02/2025 | Aston Villa | 2 - 1 | Chelsea | Premier League | Villa Park |
| 01/12/2024 | Chelsea | 3 - 0 | Aston Villa | Premier League | Stamford Bridge |
| 27/04/2024 | Aston Villa | 2 - 2 | Chelsea | Premier League | Villa Park |
| 07/02/2024 | Aston Villa | 1 - 3 | Chelsea | FA Cup | Villa Park |
| 26/01/2024 | Chelsea | 0 - 0 | Aston Villa | FA Cup | Stamford Bridge |
| 24/09/2023 | Chelsea | 0 - 1 | Aston Villa | Premier League | Stamford Bridge |
| 01/04/2023 | Chelsea | 0 - 2 | Aston Villa | Premier League | Stamford Bridge |
| 11/12/2022 | Chelsea | 0 - 1 | Aston Villa | Friendlies Clubs | |
| 11/12/2022 | Aston Villa | 1 - 0 | Chelsea | Friendlies Clubs | Al Nahyan Stadium |
| 16/10/2022 | Aston Villa | 0 - 2 | Chelsea | Premier League | Villa Park |
22/02/2025
01/12/2024
27/04/2024
07/02/2024
26/01/2024
24/09/2023
01/04/2023
11/12/2022
11/12/2022
16/10/2022
Chelsea Win
Aston Villa Win
Draw
League Standings
P: 18 GD: +22
P: 18 GD: +26
P: 18 GD: +10
P: 18 GD: +4
P: 18 GD: +11
P: 18 GD: +4
P: 18 GD: +2
P: 18 GD: +2
P: 18 GD: +1
P: 18 GD: -1
P: 18 GD: +4
P: 18 GD: -2
P: 18 GD: +1
P: 18 GD: 0
P: 18 GD: -6
P: 18 GD: -7
P: 18 GD: -10
P: 18 GD: -17
P: 18 GD: -15
League Standings
P: 24 GD: +29
P: 24 GD: +26
P: 24 GD: +9
P: 24 GD: +8
P: 24 GD: +15
P: 24 GD: +6
P: 24 GD: +4
P: 24 GD: -1
P: 24 GD: -1
P: 24 GD: 0
P: 23 GD: -2
P: 24 GD: -3
P: 24 GD: +2
P: 24 GD: +2
P: 24 GD: -4
P: 24 GD: -11
P: 24 GD: -11
P: 24 GD: -19
P: 23 GD: -19
AI-powered match analysis and previews to help you decide which games are worth watching
Watkins' Clinical Double Ends Chelsea's Dominance at Stamford Bridge
Must-Watch Futmetrix Score: 90/100. Aston Villa's fifth consecutive win exposes the gap between controlling a match and winning it—Chelsea had all the possession but none of the ruthlessness.
Possession Without Purpose
Chelsea suffocated the midfield from kickoff, pinning Villa deep with 63% possession and 515 total passes. Reece James orchestrated the press from right-back, unlocking Joao Pedro for the opener at 37 minutes—a well-worked move that suggested a routine home victory. The Intensity was there. The execution wasn't. Robert Sánchez made six saves, but Chelsea's 14 shots yielded only three on target. A barrage of wayward efforts masked a fundamental problem: they lacked the clinical edge when it mattered.
Villa's Lethal Counterattack
Then came the turning point. Ollie Watkins, introduced from the bench, turned the match on its head. At 63 minutes, he levelled with a poacher's finish—his first of two. The Balance shifted instantly. Villa's form—five wins in a row—suddenly felt inevitable. They had 37% possession but 8 shots on target, a conversion rate that punished Chelsea's wastefulness. Youri Tielemans delivered the assist for Watkins' 84th-minute winner, a composed finish that sent Stamford Bridge into silence. Villa's xG (1.05) barely hinted at their efficiency—they simply executed when it counted.
The Arithmetic of Defeat
This wasn't a collapse; it was a lesson in modern football's Stakes. Chelsea's 89% pass accuracy and dominance in the midfield third counted for nothing against a side content to absorb pressure and strike with precision. Villa moves to 39 points, third in the table, their winning streak a statement of intent. Chelsea, fifth on 29 points, face harder questions: their form (LDWDL) suggests inconsistency, and defeats like this—where they controlled but lost—reveal a team still searching for the killer instinct required at the top.
Key Questions
Why did Chelsea's possession dominance not translate to victory?
Only 3 of 14 shots on target. Villa defended compactly and punished Chelsea's wastefulness with surgical finishing from Watkins (2 goals).
What does this win mean for Villa's title race?
Fifth consecutive win moves them to 39 points, third place. This efficiency on the road signals genuine title contention.
How did Watkins change the match?
Substitute impact: levelled at 63 minutes, then sealed it at 84. His positioning and finishing exposed Chelsea's defensive vulnerabilities.
How is the Futmetrix Score calculated?
The Futmetrix Score (0-100) combines multiple factors: match intensity, competitive balance, stakes importance, and entertainment value to help you decide if this match is worth watching.
Neto's Brilliance Meets Villa's Defensive Wall in Top-Four Shootout
Must-Watch Futmetrix Score: 94/100. Two Champions League hopefuls collide on Boxing Day with European football hanging in the balance—this is exactly the kind of fixture that defines a season's trajectory.
The Setup
Form favours Chelsea, who've won three of their last five despite a wobble against Brighton. Stakes couldn't be higher: third-place Chelsea are just two points clear of fifth-place Aston Villa, and a slip now could prove catastrophic in the title race's rear-view mirror. The Balance between these sides is knife-edge—Chelsea's attacking thrust against Villa's compact shape creates a tactical tug-of-war that rarely produces comfortable winners.
Key Battle
Pedro Neto versus Amadou Onana will decide this match's rhythm. Neto's three goals and two assists in five games make him Chelsea's creative fulcrum—he operates in the half-spaces where Villa's midfield sits deepest. Onana, Villa's ball-winning enforcer, must either suffocate Neto early or risk watching him orchestrate Chelsea's attacking transitions. Whoever controls that duel controls the tempo.
Our Prediction
Chelsea's superior Stars power—anchored by Cole Palmer's creative authority—will eventually break Villa's resistance. Expect Chelsea to absorb early pressure, then strike through Neto's movement in the 60-75 minute window. Emiliano Martínez's penalty heroics won't save Villa this time. Chelsea 2-1 Villa, a result that keeps them hunting Liverpool while Villa's top-four dream dims.
Key Questions
Should I watch this match?
Absolutely. Two title contenders with everything to prove, attacking talent on both sides, and Champions League spots on the line. Compelling football guaranteed.
What's the predicted outcome?
Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa. Neto's creativity breaches Villa's defence in the second half; Martínez's heroics prove insufficient to salvage a point.
Where are Chelsea and Aston Villa in the league table?
Chelsea sit third with 23 points from 12 games. Aston Villa are fifth with 21 points. A two-point gap makes this a direct six-pointer.
What is Chelsea's current form?
Strong: WWWLW in their last five. Three wins, one loss, one draw. Recent Brighton defeat aside, Chelsea are climbing toward title contention.
Who is the in-form player to watch?
Pedro Neto (Chelsea): 3 goals, 2 assists in 5 matches, averaging 7.5 rating. His movement in tight spaces will unlock this match.
How is the Futmetrix Score calculated?
The Futmetrix Score (0-100) combines multiple factors: match intensity, competitive balance, stakes importance, and entertainment value to help you decide if this match is worth watching.