VIDEO: What are Chelsea doing?! Aston Villa left absolutely FUMING as Blues perform huddle on centre spot to stop play restarting

Chelsea turned a dominant performance into a disciplinary debate after employing a calculated stalling tactic at the start of the second half. Leading 2-1 following a Joao Pedro masterclass, the west Londoners refused to take their defensive positions, instead gathering in a tight circle around the ball.

The move physically obstructed Aston Villa from kicking off, leaving Ollie Watkins and Amadou Onana visibly bewildered. The home side’s rhythm was effectively neutralised as the referee struggled to manage the standoff in the centre circle.

The tension only subsided when Cole Palmer finally released the ball from the huddle, allowing play to resume under a chorus of boos. Fans on social media were quick to mock the scene, with one supporter jokingly asking if the Blues "thought they were playing rugby". Ultimately, Chelsea secured a resounding 4-1 victory over Villa.

Manager Liam Rosenior was quick to distance himself from the planning of the stunt while offering his full backing to the squad's choice. "It wasn't my idea, it's come from the players and I really like it because they're showing unity, togetherness and spirit," the Blues boss explained during his post-match press conference.

"You need that before anything, before you start talking about tactics or systems - you need a group of players to run and fight for each other. And in my time there's not been one game where I can say they've not given everything or I've been disappointed with their application. That bodes well because they're a good group, a tight group and they enjoy each other's company and that's half the battle."

With this win, Chelsea now climb to fifth in the table after Liverpool's shock 2-1 defeat to bottom-placed Wolves. The victory comes at a valuable time for the Blues, who were on a run of three league games without a win prior to facing Villa. They now face Wrexham in the FA Cup and then face up to a tough clash against PSG in the Champions League round-of-16.