In the Premier League, Chelsea faced Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on a Sunday afternoon.
The game was crucial for Chelsea as they hoped to move up the table and relieve some of the pressure on their manager, Mauricio Pochettino.
Despite feeling that his team had been playing better than their position suggested, Chelsea suffered a defeat on home soil.
Aston Villa emerged victorious with Ollie Watkins scoring the winning goal in the second half.
It was the second time that Aston Villa had visited Stamford Bridge, and their fans were elated to once again witness the sacking of the opposition manager in the morning.
Their prediction came true last season when Graham Potter was dismissed just 24 hours after a defeat to Unai Emery’s side.
With only six games into the new season, Pochettino may already have an idea of the difficulties his predecessor faced and the enormity of the task that lies ahead in getting Chelsea back on track.
The game began with Chelsea dominating possession in the opening minutes of the first half.
Moises Caicedo had an early opportunity from outside the box, but Villa grew into the game.
Lucas Digne’s volley from a corner required a big save from Robert Sanchez to keep Chelsea’s net from shaking.
Chelsea thought they had scored just before half-time, but VAR confirmed that Axel Disasi had mistimed his run and was offside.
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The second half started brightly for Chelsea, but their optimism was short-lived after Malo Gusto’s dangerous tackle on Digne resulted in a sending-off.
Villa used their numerical advantage to break the deadlock, with Watkins scoring from a tight angle after a counter-attack.
Despite both teams having chances, Villa held on to secure all three points.
The result leaves Chelsea languishing in 14th place with just five points this season, while Aston Villa move into sixth, just two points off the top four.
Chelsea’s home form is also a concern, having won just one of their last 10 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge.
Overall, it was a disappointing result for Chelsea.
They will need to regroup quickly if they hope to climb the table and salvage their season.
Villa, on the other hand, will be buoyed by their impressive performance and will look to continue their strong start to the season.
