Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa
Chelsea were unable to end 2020 on a high note as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
Olivier Giroud had given the hosts a first-half lead, but the in-form Anwar El Ghazi scored a second-half equaliser to earn a point for Villa, who stay ahead of Chelsea with a couple of games in hand.
That result leaves Chelsea with just one win in their last five Premier League matches as they’ve slid down to sixth in the standings.
The pressure continues to build on Frank Lampard to turn things around at Stamford Bridge. And if he doesn’t, he may not be Chelsea boss for much longer.
Highlights of the game
The big Premier League 2020 news for Chelsea was that Lampard decided to drop the out-of-form Timo Werner from the starting line-up after another disappointing performance in their Boxing Day loss against Arsenal, with Callum Hudson-Odoi taking the German’s place.
Lampard also gave veteran Olivier Giroud a start despite Tammy Abraham scoring three goals in his last two games, including two in a 3-0 win over West Ham. Meanwhile, Cesar Azpilicueta replaced Reece James at right-back to deal with the threat of Jack Grealish.
Grealish got the game’s first clear chance on goal on six minutes as his right-footed shot forced a save from Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy.
Six minutes later, though, Grealish very nearly gifted Chelsea the opening goal. His misplaced pass inside his own third was pounced on by Christian Pulisic, who was unable to hit the target with his shot.
Pulisic again came close to putting Chelsea ahead just after the half-hour mark. Giroud’s header broke to him inside the six-yard box, but the American’s effort went over the bar.
The hosts eventually did take the lead a few minutes later, though. Pulisic was once again involved as he passed on to the overlapping Ben Chilwell, who cut the ball back to Giroud. The Frenchman made no mistake with his finish as he headed the ball past Emi Martinez.
Mason Mount had one more chance to add to Chelsea’s lead just before the break. But after fine work to get past a crowd of Villa defenders, the young midfielder blasted his shot over.
Villa were able to regroup at half-time, though, and they were level just five minutes after the break. Matty Cash picked out an unmarked Anwar El Ghazi with a perfect cross, and the in-form Dutchman slipped the ball between the legs of Mendy.
Chelsea were a bit unlucky as centre-back Andreas Christensen went down with an injury earlier in the move, which left them shorthanded at the back. But the referee did not feel the need to stop play, and Villa did well to capitalise on their momentary advantage.
Chelsea charged forward in search of another goal, and they came close near the hour mark. A well-worked move saw N’Golo Kante unmarked at the edge of the box, but the Frenchman’s side-footed strike was easily saved by Martinez.
The home side did have the ball in the back of the net again on 66 minutes as Azpilicueta smuggled it in after a scramble from a corner. But the goal was correctly waved off as Pulisic’s initial header was offside.
Minutes later, it was Villa’s turn to come close to retaking the lead. John McGinn lined up for a left-footed shot from distance, but unfortunately for the Villa midfielder, his ferocious strike cannoned off the bar.
Chelsea came right back with Callum Hudson-Odoi, who forced a smart save from Martinez. Martinez also had to push a Pulisic shot just over the bar.
Aston Villa brought on 19-year-old Jacob Ramsey in place of El Ghazi, and the teenager very nearly stole a late win for the visitors. With his first involvement in the match, Ramsey sent a shot whistling just wide of Mendy’s goal.
Chelsea had also brought on Timo Werner as they went in search for a winner. The German had one good chance to get that much-needed goal, but once again, he failed to make the most of it.
Chilwell had Chelsea’s last chance of the match in stoppage time with a spectacular-looking volley, but it wasn’t to be as the Blues ended 2020 with another disappointing result.
Key statistics
Chelsea had the upper hand at home over Villa. They finished with a 16-10 edge in terms of shots and had 63 per cent of possession.
Lampard singled out Pulisic for praise post-match, and it was much deserved. The American had a fine game as he had a team-high 4 shots and set up several more.
His opposite number, Grealish, was relatively quiet, though, as he’s now failed to score in his last five matches.
Luckily, El Ghazi has hit a rich vein of form in front of goal. The Dutch winger has now scored five goals in his last five games, making him the team’s second-leading scorer alongside Grealish this season.
What’s next?
The Premier League 2020 odds of Chelsea snapping their rough run of form in their next game aren’t too promising as they host Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Stay tuned for SBOTOP’s comprehensive preview of that huge match.
As for Aston Villa, they will be in Manchester to take on Manchester United on New Year’s Day. And a week later, they host Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup.
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