- Chelsea produced a devastating attacking display to beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Wednesday night
- The Blues victory over Villa has eased pressure on manager Mauricio Pochettino who has been under scrutiny in the past few weeks
The Aston Villa vs Chelsea FA Cup fixture played on Wednesday night ended in a 3-1 victory for Mauricio Pochettino‘s side.
The Blues produced a devastating attacking display and took the lead inside eleven minutes, thanks to Conor Gallagher‘s composed finish at the Holte End. Nicolas Jackson increased the visitor’s advantage to 2-0 ten minutes later with a brilliant header.
Aston Villa vs Chelsea. Photo/ Birmingham Live.
Enzo Fernandez then sealed the win barely ten minutes after the restart by curling a magnificent free-kick into the top corner. Aston Villa did pull one back through substitute Moussa Diaby but it was in stoppage time and there was no time left to perhaps start a comeback.
Chelsea’s victory over Villa last night has eased the pressure on manager Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine has been under scrutiny in the past few weeks, with things getting intense when Chelsea suffered a 4-2 loss to Wolverhampton last weekend.
“People are not patient. In a club like Chelsea you need to win. They don’t want to hear excuses. We are not the Chelsea of another time. It is a new project. The people need to believe. If they believe fantastic. If they don’t you know what happens – the most easy decision will appear.” Mauricio Pochettino said after Chelsea’s massive 3-1 win at Aston Villa last night.
While a good number of Chelsea fans are demanding for Pochettino’s sacking, he might get lucky due to the performance of his team in cup competitions.
The Blues have reached the final of the Carabao Cup, where they will face Liverpool on February 26. Their performance during the Aston Villa vs Chelsea FA Cup match was very impressive and they are currently through to the last 16 where they will face Leeds United.
Chelsea will be looking to return to winning ways in the Premier League this weekend when they face Crystal Palace.
Aston Villa Vs Chelsea
Having lost six of their previous seven away games this season, before kick-off talk of victory for Chelsea at Aston Villa was being treated as an FA Cup shock. The Blues’ performance this season has been inconsistent and following the huge losses against Liverpool and Wolves in the last two games, winning against a Villa side who have been in stellar form this campaign seemed like an impossibility.
Surprisingly, it was Chelsea who began the game on a high note and had their efforts rewarded in the eleventh minute when Conor Gallagher fired a superb first-time finish past Emiliano Martinez.
Aston Villa sought for an immediate response, with Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins missing chances. While they failed to convert, Chelsea on the other hand increased their lead to 2-0, thanks to Nicolas Jackson. The Senegalese forward was just at the right place in the box to head home Malo Gusto’s cross.
Whereas chances for Villa were few and far between, Chelsea continued to attack, with Gallagher and Jackson posing a constant danger in the opposition’s box.
Aston Villa fans were hoping to see their team come back stronger after the break but were left disappointed when Enzo Fernandez curled a sumptuous free-kick that went past his international teammate Martinez and hit the top corner.
Enzo Fernandez sealed the win for Chelsea in the 54th minute with a brilliant free-kick that went direct into the top corner. Photo/ beIN SPORTS.
With time running out, there were signs of Villa getting a consolation and their efforts finally paid off in the dying minutes of the game when Moussa Diaby fired a superb strike that clipped in off the post.
The FA Cup defeat will be a bitter disappointment to Unai Emery and his side who have been impressive, especially at home where they had a record of 13 wins and just two losses before hosting Chelsea.
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