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Despite Villa's remarkable winning run, Chelsea started the better of the two teams, as Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez went close for the hosts. Former Watford ace Pedro was then a whisker away from breaking the deadlock but Emi Martinez spread himself well to keep out the Brazilian's flicked effort. Blues captain Reece James was the next player to try his luck, but he could only flash a snap shot wide on the angle. Their pressure finally told in the 37th minute when James' teasing floated corner hit the back leg of the unsuspecting Pedro from a yard out to make it 1-0.
After producing an Expected Goals tally of zero in the first half, Villa simply had to improve but Chelsea continued to look the more likely to score and had it not been for a last-ditch interception from John McGinn, Alejandro Garnacho would have tapped into an empty net. Then, James nearly bagged a goal of his own when his cross-cum-shot almost caught out Martinez from long range. Finally, the visitors produced something of note when substitute Ollie Watkins slipped in Boubacar Kamara, but Robert Sanchez was out quickly to smother his effort.
The Blues were then made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when Watkins bundled the ball in shortly after the hour mark. The Villans were finally alive and kicking and would have taken the lead if Sanchez hadn't kept out Ian Maatsen's fierce drive with a strong hand. And the turnaround was complete in the 84th minute when Watkins headed in a brilliant header from a corner. And that was all she wrote as Villa equalled an all-time club record of 11 consecutive wins, set in both 1897 and 1914. Chelsea are now 10 points behind third-placed Villa and 13 adrift of league leaders Arsenal in a game where Unai Emery got his substitutions spot on, and Maresca simply did not.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge...
