Chelsea 0-2 Aston Villa LIVE! Blues booed off – Premier League result, match stream and latest updates today

Aston Villa defeated Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea dropped into the bottom half of the Premier League standings as a result. This put more pressure on Graham Potter.

Chelsea had been their usual enterprising selves going forward up to that point, but their struggles in front of goal showed no sign of resolution in a game that showed yet again their lack of bite in the opposition box.

At the final whistle, boos rang around Stamford Bridge, as some supporters behind the dugout again called for Potter to go

Villa almost handed the hosts the perfect start. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez rolled the ball short to Boubacar Kamara, who dithered in possession and allowed Mykhailo Mudryk to nick it. Stamford Bridge sensed a first Chelsea goal for the Ukrainian, but Martinez got the better of his one-on-one duel with the forward to smother the ball to safety.

Chelsea were nearly made to pay instantly. Their defence, with Reece James dropped back into a central three in place of the injured Wesley Fofana, parted allowing McGinn to release Watkins running clear. With only the goalkeeper to beat, he pulled his shot badly wide.

McGinn went closer still on 15 minutes when his curling effort smacked the crossbar. Chelsea, suddenly on the back foot, had received two early warnings. Neither would be heeded.

The opening goal was a calamity for Cucurella. Douglas Luiz’s hopeful ball forward looked an easy mop-up job for Kalidou Koulibaly, but the back-peddling Cucurella took it away from his defensive partner and helped it into the path of Watkins. This time the Villa striker was not so profligate, lifting it over Arrizabalaga for 1-0.

Martinez was required again, this time diving low to his left to keep out Kai Havertz’s clipped effort towards the bottom corner. Potter’s team were on top but following a familiar pattern, fluid football yielding plenty of chances but nothing besides frustration to show for it at the break.

McGinn’s goal after 55 minutes deepened the home side’s woes. The Villa captain’s whipped effort from 30 yards was hit crisply as Chelsea failed to clear a corner. The blue shirts that flung themselves in front to try and block the shot did so in vain, and the ball dropped beyond Arrizabalaga’s dive into the bottom corner.

Chelsea continued to work hard after that, putting busy, intense pressure, but it produced little penetration and never appeared to be a threat to Unai Emery’s team’s lead. N’Golo Kante came off the bench to play his first minutes under Potter, but it quickly became apparent that it would be in vain.

Villa climb into ninth place above Chelsea, whose hopes of a finishing in a European place now appear increasingly remote.