Aston Villa’s impressive winning streak continued as Ollie Watkins came off the bench in the second half to score a brace, leading his team to a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
At halftime, it seemed Unai Emery’s squad was on the verge of losing their grip on the Premier League title chase, with João Pedro‘s goal from a Reece James corner putting the hosts ahead against a Villa team that struggled to find their rhythm.
Chelsea dominated the first half, pressuring Villa consistently and keeping them mostly contained in their half. However, the dynamics shifted in the 59th minute when Emery introduced Watkins, who was surprisingly left out of the starting eleven. Almost immediately, he equalized with a well-placed shot following a through-ball from Morgan Rogers. Then, with just seven minutes remaining, he headed a corner from Youri Tielemans into the net, positioning Villa just three points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Bizarrely, Chelsea had not been this commanding at home during the first half through the season.
Early on, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer expertly turned and nearly scored, sending a shot just wide of the goal. Another notable moment was when he made a powerful run, enabling Enzo Fernández to curl a shot that drifted past the post.
Pedro attempted to convert a cross from Pedro Neto but was thwarted at close range by Emiliano Martínez. Chelsea continued to create chances, with Pedro seeking a penalty after a challenge by Victor Lindelöf, but referee Stuart Attwell did not award it.
While Chelsea’s lead was deserved, their goal came with a touch of good fortune. James’ corner was dangerous and seemed to create confusion among the players in the six-yard box. A mixture of attempts led to Pedro making the crucial touch that sent the ball over the line.
Villa faced more penalty concerns at the beginning of the second half when Ian Maatsen appeared to handle a cross, and John McGinn made a crucial sliding tackle to deny Alejandro Garnacho from doubling Chelsea’s lead after a swift counter-attack.
A stunning save from Martínez prevented James from scoring when he attempted a clever chip.
Emery took a risk with three substitutions just past the hour mark, bringing on Watkins, Jadon Sancho, and Amadou Onana. This tactical change allowed Villa to finally create a scoring opportunity, with Watkins setting up Boubacar Kamara for a chance that was thwarted by Robert Sánchez‘s strong save.
This sparked Villa’s revival, and just a minute later, they were level. Rogers’ precision pass sent Watkins through on goal. Despite shooting against Sánchez’s legs, luck was on Watkins’ side as the ball ricocheted off the goalkeeper and into the net.
Now with momentum, Villa pressed forward, with Maatsen hitting an effort that Sánchez had to deal with at the near post. Watkins then unleashed a shot that Sánchez managed to save.
While a draw might have seemed fair, Watkins had other plans, and his late header ignited jubilant celebrations among the visiting fans in the Shed End.